Khalaf Al-Harbe Okaz The Shoura (Consultative) Council is one of the wonders of our time. It has resolved all the country's chronic problems and now only has to develop a system of remunerations for tribal chiefs which it has divided into categories. According to the new system, the chief of the clan will be paid a monthly salary of SR8,000 and a new vehicle every five years. The tribal chief will be paid a monthly salary of SR5,000 and a new car once every five years. The tribal affairs administrator will be paid SR3,000. Have you ever seen anything similar to this beautiful council which has decided to take us back by more than 100 years through nano technology? The council should complete its favors and decide to pay salaries to all the echelons of the tribe. The knight should be paid SR2,000, the shepherd SR1,000 and the man who plays the flute SR500. What is this strange system the council is discussing in the 21st century? Why is tribalism being consolidated and given this administrative and legal concern at a time when commitment and loyalty of citizens should entirely be toward the homeland whether they belong to a tribeor not? Every tribal chief has the right to stick to his high social position among members of his tribe. But when it comes to systems, laws and regulations, the parameter to differentiate between citizens should be based on quality, qualifications and productivity. The Shoura Council, which is supposed to represent all citizens, is trying to impose a system which will ultimately deprive it of this right, giving it to a number of individuals who will later become representatives of their own tribes and not the entire nation. I agree that some security and administrative necessities may require the assistance of some tribal chiefs, especially in remote areas. This is equally true to district mayors. However, these necessities should not be used as justifications by the Shoura Council to change the social position of the tribal chiefs into jobs with monthly salaries. How will the chief of a clan get his vacation approved? I am longing to read this special article in the system of the tribal chiefs. Who will decide if a particular man is the chief of the tribe not his brother or cousin? Who will settle differences among them? What is the mechanism of deciding the domain of the governor, the district chief, the chief of the clan and the tribal chief? Finally, I do not envy the chiefs of tribes and clans for their salaries but I do envy the Shoura Council for its wonderful abilities of being able to pick up issues for discussion from their increasing backlog of cases.
