The Consultative Assembly ( ar, مجلس الشورى; transcription: ''Majlis al-Shura'') is the lower house of the Council of Oman. It is the only legislative body in Oman of which all members are democratically elected. The other chamber of the parliament is the

Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...

(''Majlis al-Dawla''). The assembly consists of 86 elected members. Each

wilayah A wilayah ( ar, وَلاية, wālāya or ''wilāya'', plural ; Urdu and fa, ولایت, ''velâyat''; tr, vilayet) is an administrative division, usually translated as "state", "province" or occasionally as " governorate". The word comes f ...

(province) in Oman is entitled to at least one representative in the assembly. Provinces with a population of 30,000 or above are represented by two members, while provinces with fewer than 30,000 inhabitants are represented by only one member. The winning candidates are the ones who obtain the higher number of votes according to the official election results. Oman does not allow

political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

. Thus, only non-partisans have been elected.

History

Before 1981, the Majlis al-Shura (Consultative Council) was a unicameral legislature of the

Imamate of Oman The Imamate of Oman ( ar, إِمَامَة عُمَان, Imāmat ʿUmān, links=no) refers to a historical state within the ''Oman proper'' ( ar, عُمَان ٱلْوُسْطَى, ʿUmān al-Wusṭā) in the present-day Al Hajar Mountains in S ...

until its dissolution in 1959.

Legislative process

As mentioned in the Basic Law of the State (''de facto'' constitution), the Council of Oman has some legislative and oversight powers. The Council of Ministers (the main executive branch) must have to refer draft laws to the Assembly, which has to approve or amend it within a maximum of three months from the date of referring. Then it is referred to the State Council which has to approve or amend it. If the two chambers disagree, they take vote to resolve the difference. However, if any bill passes both chambers, it must be approved and signed by the Sultan to become a law. The assembly has the exclusive power of interpellation to any of the services ministers.

Requirements

* Must be an Omani national by origin. * Must be at least 30 years old by the Gregorian calendar on the commencement date of candidature. * Educated to at least General Education Diploma level. * Never sentenced for a felony or crime involving moral turpitude or trust, even if he is rehabilitated. * Enrolled in the election register. * Not affiliated to a security or military authority. * Not interdicted by a judicial judgment. * Not suffering from a mental illness. * It is permissible for whoever completes his membership term to run again as a candidate for Majlis al Shura.

Latest election

References

External links

* 1981 establishments in Oman

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...