Democratic Concepts of Government in Qatar and Bahrain - Research Paper Example

A Comparative Analysis of Qatar and Bahrain Democracy demands that governing power comes from those who are governed either directly or through representatives of the people who are elected. The main principles behind all forms of democratic governance are freedom and equality. Democracy therefore dictates that all citizens should be treated equally before the law and should equally have the right to power. Such rights are normally indoctrinated in the constitution that governs the people as the supreme law of the land. Qatar and Bahrain are Middle Eastern countries that are pursuing different paths in democratic concepts of government by introducing democratic reforms to their economic and political systems. This paper will specifically compare and analyze why they have pursued these paths and the results of their efforts. Government Structures of Qatar and Bahrain Bahrain is an island country located in the Persian Gulf and is the smallest Arabian country. To the west is Saudi Arabia which is connected to Bahrain by the king Fahd Causeway while Qatar is to the south across the gulf of Bahrain. It has a constitutional monarchy type of government and was colonized by the Britons. The history of Bahrain can be dated back to over five thousand years due its role as the center of the ancient civilization of Dilmun which dominated Sumer-Indus valley route (Chaddock, 99). The Kingdom of Bahrain operates on a legal system that is based on the Islamic and English common law. It is divided into 5 governorates: Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah and Wasat. Each of these administrative divisions has an appointed governor as the chief administrator. The King is the chief of state and the prime minister is the head of government. Qatar also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qatar, is one of the United Arab Emirates countries in the middle East that occupies the small Qatar peninsula on the north easterly coast of the larger Arabian peninsula (C. I. A., 5). Qatar is an absolute monarchy ruled by the Al Thani family, which has been at the helm of power since the mid-1800s. He works in close consultation with a council of ministers, advisory council and elected municipal council. The foundation of the country’s customs, laws and practices is the Islamic beliefs and the tribal traditions (Cordesman, 292). With the strategic location at the heart of the Arabian gulf, she is modernizing, dynamic and rapidly developing and is rated among the wealthiest countries in the world. The emirate’s capital city is Doha. The country has different administrative divisions that are divided into 10 municipalities: Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Junaylilah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Sa’id and Umm Salal. The countries governing constitution is based on the Islamic Sharia law and civil law codes. The emir is the Chief of State while the Prime Minister acts as the head of government. Qatar Government Vs. Bahrain Government The two countries have several similarities with slight differences in terms of government structure, state religion, economic activities, population density and the time the countries gained their independence. Both the countries held a constitutional referendum in early 21st century with Bahrain holding the referendum in 2001 while Qatar in 2003. The two countries gained their independence in the early seventy’s from the Britons. The two governments have slight differences in the government structure. Qatar practices a constitutional monarchy with the Emir of Qatar as the final authority. The country has consultative assembly constituting of 35 members who are appointed by the amir. The country does not have an electoral system, which means that there are no political leaders or political parties. The seat of the emir is hereditary. The executive branch of the government consists of a council of ministers who are appointed by the emir. The country’s judiciary is an independent branch of the government. The current advisory council has been appointed awaiting elections and thus has assumed only limited responsibility to date. The government has also subdivisions like the fully centralized government and the seven municipalities. The country has no political parties and the suffrage is universally over the age of 18 since 1999. Bahrain has a constitutional hereditary monarchy type of government with the executive, legislative and judicial as the branches of government. The executive branch of government consist of the king who is the chief of state, prime minister who is the head of government and a council of ministers also referred to as the cabinet appointed by the king and headed by the prime minister. Bahrain has a parliament called the National Assembly that has 80 seats. The legislature is a bicameral parliament (al-Majlis al-Watani) consisting of a forty member elected council of representatives as elected in December 2006. The elections are held after every four years. The legislature also has a forty member Shura or a consultative council that is directly appointed by the king. The members of the executive and the legislature chambers serve four year terms (Ibp Usa, 38). The judiciary is independent with the right with right of judicial review and consists of high civil appeals court. The Bahrain administration also consists of administrative subdivisions. The country has twelve municipalities known as the manatiq which aids in the administration of the country and in ensuring law, order and regulations is well implemented and followed (Cooper, 193). The suffrage is at the universal age of eighteen. Political parties formation and activities are illegal just like in Qatar but there are political societies representation in parliament. The political societies represented in parliament are al Wifaq, al Asala, al Minbar and al Mustaqbil (Mallakh, 84 ). In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch is ceremonial subject to a constitution. The sovereignty formally rests with and is executed in the name of the crown but politically rests with the electorate as represented by the parliament or the legislature. Constitutional monarchs have limited political power as they are constituted by tradition and precedent, popular opinion or by the legal codes or statutes (Ehteshami & Wright,133). They only serve as symbols of continuity and the state and generally carry ceremonial functions. However some constitutional monarchs retain various privileges like inviolability, sovereign immunity and an official residence, and powers like to grant pardons and to appoint titles of nobility (Feiler, 119 ). Political Reforms Since independent, Qatar has engaged in several reforms ranging from political to economic reforms. The country gained independence from the Britons in 1971 and has used the colonial constitution for duration of thirty two years. In April 2003, the Qatar residents approved a new constitution through a referendum that later came into force in June 2005. The referendum came into being due to attempted bloodless coup on June 27, 1995. The country has been ruled by the Al Thani family since independence and the right to rule Qatar has been passed on within the Al Thani family. The country is evolving from a traditional society to one founded on more formal and democratic institutions. The country aims at meeting the requirements of the social and economic progress. The hereditary rule of the Al Thani family has been formalized through the 2003 constitution which provides limited power to the emir. The constitution has also established an elected legislative body making the government ministers accountable to the legislature (Stefoff, 71). Although the constitution bides Amir’s role, he is highly influenced by continuing traditions of consultation, consensus ruling and the citizen’s right to appeal personally to the king. The king cannot violate the sharia law and is obligated to consider the opinions of leading families as well as the religious establishments. The government has practiced observance of the rule of law and freedom of the citizens. The elections in 1999 resulted into the formation of municipal council which does not discriminate people on gender basis (Tamra Orr Qatar, 33). Any person can be elected as part of the municipal council as long as he/she possess good character traits and whose aims and objectives convince the public to vote for him/her. The government ensures the freedom of citizens is observed and rights of the citizens protected (United Cities and Local Governments, 38). There has also been an increase in the freedom of the press. The government has put reasonable efforts in implementation of civil codes. Any proposed legislation has to be approved by the Emir. Although there have never been any legislative council elections since 1970, the constitution provides for a forty five member advisory council or Majlis al-Shura (Trusted archives for scholarship, 13). Thirty of the forty five members will be elected by the public while the rest will be appointed by Amir. These elections are scheduled for June 2010. The government has geared its efforts at improving the services of the judiciary branch of government. In 2007 the courts of first instance, appeal and cassation, an administrative court and a constitutional court were established (Page, 171). All the judges are appointed, through the recommendation of the supreme judiciary council, by Amiri Decree for a three year term which is renewable (Oxford Business Group, 65). Qatar has also opened up to the international community and is one of the member countries of the United Nations Organization. Bahrain has undergone a lot of political reforms since its independence in 1971 with noticeable reforms being the implementation of a new constitution in 2002. the country has focused on political reforms by trying to solve its economic and social problems through increased participation of its citizens. Though there was a ban of political parties earlier, those who had been arrested have been released, fired from public office have been reinstated, travel bans have been lifted for those who actively participated in political activities (Radhi, 139). There has been more open atmosphere for political expression and a rise in a more pluralistic political culture. National elections can now be held every four years. There have been groups not officially designated as political parties but with the attributes of democratic parties in the west. The groups can field candidates in elections, organize activities and campaign freely. There has also been a rise in non-governmental organizations since the endorsement of the constitution in February 2001 with the notable one been the Bahrain Human rights society and the supreme council for Bahrain women. The organizations have the right to hold public discussions and meetings and consulting with the government. Bahrain is also a member of the international organizations like the UN but is not a subject of the international court of justice jurisdiction. Also the judicial system has been transformed to meet the needs of bill of human rights and its independence. In both the countries, the political reforms have brought about a more stable government and more responsible citizens(Oxford Business Group, 71) . The citizens are happy that the bill of rights and freedom of expression is been observed by the government. The reforms has also led to increased economic growth and expounding of the economic activities. The countries have also opened up to the international community therefore their reputation as a destination for most of the internationals. Economic Reforms The economy of Qatar and Bahrain is sustained through oil and gas earnings with over seventy percent of the government expenditure being funded by the by oil proceeds. The government of Bahrain has developed more flexible economic policies aiming at red tape reduction and facilitation of private sector participation. The economic policies have included trade liberalization and allow for ownership of local companies by foreigners. The government’s role have been redefined from being the owner of the nationalized industries and job provision to a more regulatory and supervisory capacity. This allow for more room for the effective and efficient private sector functioning. This has led to the emergence of high qualified professional domestic private sector capable of engaging in entrepreneurial activities and local addition of value. This is moving away from the traditional role as merchant where there was little value addition locally. The Bahrain government is working on diversifying the economy and reduction on oil dependency. The government has also played major role in banking regulations development and supervisory legislation to facilitate the growth of Islamic banking. This has highly attracted foreign companies into setting up local companies in the region. The Qatar government aims at diversifying the economy from the tradition of highly relying on the oil and gas proceeds(Kapila & Kapila , 89). The government has employed systematic efforts to privatize and diversify its investments as proven by its sale of its 45% stake in the Qatar public telecommunication corporation. The government has privatized or divested substantially its stake in the state owned steel, fertilizer and petrochemical industries(US Department of State,7 ). The government has launched hydrocarbon diversification programs, launched textile and finished clothing industries, petrochemicals, cement, iron and steel industries in its diversification programs. This has largely attracted local and foreign investors stimulating further economic growth. Bahrain Political Reforms Bahrain’s political reforms were aimed at ensuring Shiite majority also play a significant role in the nation’s governance. However, the Shiites have continued to preach unrest over the Sunni led government’s perceived manipulation of election and citizenship laws and regulations to maintain its grip on power (US Department of State, 8). The power struggle between the two tribes has continued as demonstrated by large demonstrations and arrests of the Shiite opposition leaders. The political reforms have ensured observance of the bill of rights as well as freedom of expression. If this is not keenly observed the opposition Shiite leaders may incite the public against the government. The political reforms also ensure international cooperation between Bahrain and other countries. There is fear by the government that the Iranians are supporting Shiite opposition movements in an effort to install a Shiite led, pro-Iranian government in Bahrain (Owen, 59). This is highly indicated by the Iranian editorial comments that Bahrain should not have become formally independent of Iran. Also from the fact that the king has the power to amend the constitution and that the king is a Sunni, this further complicates the issue as is advances the Shiite-Sunni crisis. Taking into consideration that Bahrain is being ruled by the minority Sunni and the majority Shiite rules in the neighboring countries, the Bahrain government is at the risk of being overthrown if the right security measures are not put in place(Kołodko, 99). The recent elections have been marred by protests from the opposition Shiite which is a clear indication of how unsatisfied the Shiite community is. The Sunni rule has a rather liberal understanding and approach, has supported women’s rights and campaigned for the introduction of unified personal status law (Amuzegar, 169). If this is not well monitored, the Shiite may involve in criminal and terrorist activities through collaboration with other Shiite in other countries like Iraq. This threat can be mitigated through careful analysis of the Shiite group political activities and the observance of law and order by the Bahrain government. The citizens of a country are provoked to engage in criminal activities if the government doesn’t observe the bill of rights and denies the citizens their freedom (Nafi, 82). This necessitates for the uprising of criminal gangs and groups to counter the government activities. The government should also encourage the citizens to engage more in economic activities as it formulates flexible rules and regulations to enhance private sector participation in the economy. Qatar’s Reforms Qatar’s government has highly engaged into political and economic reforms. The country gears towards sustaining itself through other economic activities other than through oil and gas proceeds. The government has encouraged foreign investments from various international companies into the various sectors of the economy. This has made the country to emerge as an economic hub in the united Arab countries. The citizens are more interested in investment rather than loyalty to the country. The government has also engaged in activities that might impair its political loyalty (Oxford Business Group, 111). Conclusion While both Bahrain and Qatar have made progress on political and economic reforms much more is needed for both countries to become fully democratic states. Both have implemented a working constitution, which like any other country in the world, should lead the political leaders. Bahrain has not yet fully implemented the constitution and it seems the Sunni are reluctant to implement it in the right way and in time. When the Shiite boycotted the election, the Sunni leaders were quick to strengthen their grip in power and nominated pro-Sunni leaders. The constitution is been enacted in a give and take way which is democratically unsound. Although the government has legalized trade unions, political parties and political activities have been criminalized. A democratic country allows for the freedom of expression and this is only possible to political leaders if the political activities are legalized. If this is done, the political leaders will be able to air their views as well as push for further reforms. However the government should commission a taskforce to ensure that this is not detrimental to national unity and it is not a security risk. The two countries have practiced theoretical democracy despite passing and implementing a workable constitution. 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