Muscat: The Royal Decree No. 68/2021 on the Basic Law of the State, issued on 11 January 2021 represents a new start of consultation work in the Sultanate.
The law included several provisions that cope with Oman Vision 2040 and the present stage of Renewed Renaissance led by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.
The Law of the Council of Oman issued by Royal Decree No. 7/2021 included the powers and legislative and regulatory amendments.
The law is considered a new addition that copes with the historic development of consultation work in the Sultanate of Oman.
The former Basic Law of the State comprised 46 articles concerned with the Council of Oman. The current Basic Law of the State includes 8 articles representing the general framework of the Council of Oman.
The current Law of the Council of Oman comprises 78 articles and was issued in light of the current Basic Law of the State. The 78 articles are divided into seven chapters starting with the General Rules, a chapter on the State Council, a chapter on Majlis Al Shura, a chapter on the joint rules for both the councils of Majlis Al Shura and the State Council, a chapter on the convening and terms of the Council of Oman and its prerogatives, a chapter on the follow-up tools for Majlis Al Shura and a chapter on the final and transitional rules.
Khalid bin Ahmed Al Saadi, Secretary General of the State Council said in a statement to Oman News Agency that the Law of the Council of Oman reaffirmed in chapter one that each of the State Council and Majlis Al Shura enjoys a legal personality and administrative and financial autonomy, which gave the Council of Oman the power to practice its legislative authorities and prerogatives. He said that Article (6) of the Law of the Council of Oman pointed to the categories from which members of the State Council are selected as they are appointed by a Royal Decree.
Article 32 in chapter four of the law of the Council of Oman gave the State Council and Majlis Al Shura the authority to set the internal regulation which regulates the work of each council, the rules of election of the members and committees, he said, adding that the internal regulation details the duties of the chairman and vice chairman of the State Council.
He said that Article 47 of the Law stated that the draft laws prepared by the government shall be referred to the Council of Oman for approval or amendment and direct referral for ratification of His Majesty the Sultan.
He said that article (48) of the law gave the Council of Oman the right to propose draft laws and referral of the same to the government for consideration, provided that the draft law is sent back after review to the Council of Oman not later than a year.
He said that Article 53 of the Law is concerned with the studies related to the development plans as the Law gave the State Council the right to follow with execution of the development plans.
He said that the Office of the State Council approved formation of a committee to consider a proposal for a system for accreditation and equation of the certificates of students studying abroad and a committee concerned with traffic jams.
On the other hand, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Nadabi, Secretary general of Majlis Al Shura said the issuance of the Basic Law of the State and the Law of the Council of Oman has formed a new stage that cope with the requirements of the renewed renaissance.
He also said that the Law of the Council of Oman has identified the relation between the Council of Oman and the Government (Council of Ministers), the procedures for legislative work with the State Council, the internal work procedures and the mechanism for management of sessions of the council and its permanent committees.
He said that the law provided the council with the right of setting its internal regulation in accordance with the Basic Law of the State.
