In a move to regulate the powers of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the Shoura Council Sunday approved a proposal to have the rights and duties of all members spelt out in a written document. The recommendation was approved by 100 Shoura Council members, with 16 voting against the proposal. Dr. Salim Al-Qahtani, a Shoura Council member, said there was a need for each Hai'a staffer to know and understand the nature of his field work and the tasks he has been officially assigned. Also, it was important for both citizens and expatriates to know exactly whether a Hai'a staffer was carrying out his duties or simply acting on the basis of his own personal judgment. Al-Qahtani justified this move as a measure to avoid mistakes that have been made by some Hai'a members because they did not know their duties. They should rely on rules, regulations and detailed information that would limit personal judgments and opinions, said Al-Qahtani. The Council also approved the recommendations of its Islamic Affairs Committee, based on a report of the General Presidency of the Hai'a, to provide funding for the construction of the headquarters of the Hai'a and its branches in the Kingdom's regions. This was because 68 percent of its offices are in rented buildings. The recommendations also include support for the Hai'a to hire more staff for field and administrative work, and to help install an integrated IT network linking the Presidency with its branches and stations. In another development, the Shoura Council approved the formation of a new committee for human rights and petitions. Also, the name of the Islamic and Judicial Affairs and Human Rights Committee would be changed to the Islamic Affairs Committee while the name of the Administration, Human Resources and Petitions Committee would be changed to the Administration and Human Resources Committee. The Council approved a decision transferring discussion of the reports of the Technical and Vocational Training Commission (TVTC) from the Human Resources Committee to the Education Affairs and Scientific Research Committee, after arguments between the chairmen of the two committees.
