Investors and contractors who have contracts with mayoralties and municipalities will no longer be allowed to stand as candidates in the 2015 municipal council elections, according to new regulations approved by the Shoura Council to guarantee free and fair voting. The amendments introduced by the Shoura Council also empower municipal councils to revise the procedures for land grants; and stipulate that the most senior member should preside over the first meeting of a council, it was reported in local media Friday. The new 69-article regulations include amendments to the fourth chapter “Election Challenges” and the fifth chapter “Membership Provisions”. A total of 29 articles were amended while 40 articles remained unchanged by the committee for housing, water and public services at the Shoura Council. Some of the amendments stipulate that two thirds of the 30 members of municipal councils should be elected, with a third appointed by the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs. Moreover, a council may obtain information from a municipality or any other agency as long as the information falls within its jurisdiction. Any decision issued by the council not in compliance with pertinent regulations will be considered null and void. A council must consider needs and complaints filed by citizens before taking any decisions.
