The Supervisory Committee for the Shura Council elections yesterday announced the final list of candidates for the upcoming elections.
There are a total of 284 candidates, including 28 women, vying for 30 seats from as many constituencies.
Constituency No 20 has the highest number of candidates — 21, including three women. Constituency No 22 has 20 candidates, including 5 women.
There was only one candidate for Constituency No 5 in the final list, becoming the first candidate to secure his seat in the upcoming Shura Council.
With the publishing of final list of candidates, the electoral campaigns popped up across social media platforms with a number of candidates trying to win voters with their electoral programmes and promises.
As the campaign period started, the candidates started posting on their social media accounts, with some disseminating professionally-produced video messages to rope in voters. Some of the candidates also shared their CVs and lists of achievements.
The competition was especially witnessed in constituencies with a large number of candidates.
Fourteen venues, comprising 9 club halls and 5 youth centres have been provided to candidates where they can hold their campaign events free of charge. A candidate also has the right to hold a meeting in a hotel at his personal expense and after notifying the Supervisory Committee.
Qataris can vote for 30 members of the Shura Council, while H H the Amir will appoint another 15 members.
The Ministry of Interior has again reminded the candidates of the rules regulating electoral campaigns, including that the maximum limit for a candidate’s expenditures in electoral campaigns is QR2 million and that the municipalities will allocate spaces where advertisements should be placed.
The media should also take into account equality in their coverage of the candidates. The Ministry also said, in a video posted on its website, that candidate must abide by the provisions of the Constitution, preserve national unity, not use the state’s emblem or symbols in electoral meetings, and not offend any other candidate.
A candidate is prohibited, when campaigning, from holding a general election meeting or gathering, except after notifying the security department in whose district the meeting is taking place.
It is also prohibited to organise and hold electoral meetings, give speeches, or place posters, advertisements, or pictures in places of worship and religious centres, educational facilities, government facilities, and inside or within 200 metres of an election hall. To use a loudspeaker for campaign purposes, candidates need to obtain a special license from the municipality concerned, detailing the times and places for the use of loudspeaker.
