1

JaFaJ

Qatar approves elections

/

Today,  Qatar approved several electoral laws for legislative elections, set for October 2021. As someone who watches the governments in the middle east, this is a great thing for the expansion of democracy. On the other hand, with 2/3rds of the Shura Council elected, there will be benefits and problems.
To start, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will continue to appoint 15 members of the 45-seat Shura Council which, according to one of the new laws, will have legislative authority and approve general state policies and the budget. It will also exercise control over the executive, except for bodies setting defence, security, economic and investment policy.
The electoral law approved on Thursday states that citizens aged 18 and over, and whose grandfather was born in Qatar, can vote in districts in which their tribe or family reside. Thirty electoral districts will each choose one representative. Candidates must be of Qatari origin and at least 30 years old. The law caps campaign spending at 2 million riyals ($550,000). Foreign funding is criminalized with a jail term of up to five years and a fine of up to 10 million riyals.
Although the ‘Foreign funding’ concepts are a fantastic start, I can’t find any information about the actions of Campaign Managers, Lobbyists, and PR Representatives, no matter where they are from.
I look forward to reading the complete text of the enacted laws, and watching the campaigns unfold.
To read the complete article click here 
 
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-qatar-elections-idUSKBN2EZ1QY

... continue reading.

Qatar approves elections Read More »

Syria, Qatar, Iran express solidarity with Islamic Jihad

/

Islamic Republic News Agency –


Tehran, IRNA – Foreign ministers from Syria, Qatar, and Iran have expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine in separate phone calls.

According to al-Mayadeen television channel, the foreign ministers expressed support for the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian people, censuring the Zionist regime’s recent attacks on Gaza.
Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon Nabih Berri as well as Leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq Sayyid Ammar al-Hakim have had phone calls with the Islamic Jihad Secretary General Ziad Nakhale, expressing full support for the resistance movement in Palestine, uttering resentment against the Zionists’ occupation.
Some news sources have reported that Gaza and the Zionist regime have agreed upon a ceasefire to be announced at 23:30 local time on Monday, which was mediated by Egypt.
Aljazeera TV network quoted the Islamic Jihad in Palestine as saying that the implementation of the ceasefire will be kicked off from 23:30 local time, welcoming Egypt’s mediation in this respect.
According to the most recent reports, the number of martyrs of Zionists’ attacks on Gaza mounted to 43 people, including 15 children. Moreover, some 311 residents in Gaza have been injured in the new wave of Zionist attacks so far.

... continue reading.

Syria, Qatar, Iran express solidarity with Islamic Jihad Read More »

Qatar welcomes Israel-Gaza truce stopping the ‘waste of blood’

/

August 8, 2022 – Al Jazeera 
Doha has taken part in efforts alongside international actors to quickly halt hostilities in Gaza and avoid more casualties.

Israel has agreed to an Egyptian proposed truce with Islamic Jihad after three days of fighting [Mahmud Hams/AFP]

By Al Jazeera Staff

Published On 8 Aug 20228 Aug 2022

Israel has agreed to an Egyptian proposed truce with Islamic Jihad after three days of fighting [Mahmud Hams/AFP]

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has hailed the truce that ended days of fighting between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad armed group in the Gaza Strip, saying it was a result of concerted “active diplomacy”.
The truce, brokered on Sunday by Egypt with help from the United Nations and Qatar, has so far been held after three days of Israeli bombardment killed at least 44 Palestinians, including 15 children.

end of list

Majed al-Ansari, spokesman of the Qatari foreign ministry, told Al Jazeera that Doha engaged in phone calls with all relevant parties from Friday to stop the “waste of blood”.
“This agreement should not be broken in any way to ensure an appropriate amount of time where parties can work at the diplomatic level to avoid an escalation,” al-Ansari said.
“I believe that what we are see[ing] now … is the result of active diplomacy – not just on the part of Qatar, but at the regional and international level – aimed at stopping this aggression as soon as possible.”
The spokesman also thanked Egypt for playing a prominent role in the negotiations.
Qatar has been among the first countries to condemn Israel’s aggression in Gaza on Friday and the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which it described in a statement as a provocation not only to Palestinians but also to Arabs and Muslims in general.
Israel had warned that its “preemptive” operation against what it said were attacks planned by Islamic Jihad could last a week, sparking fears of a growing number of casualties in the congested strip of land, home to 2.1 million people.
At least 350 Palestinian civilians have been wounded since Friday, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
Islamic Jihad responded to the heavy bombardment across Gaza by firing rockets into Israel. According to Israeli media, most of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system, and no serious injuries were reported.
Israel and Islamic Jihad have warned each other that they will respond with force to any further violence.
The besieged strip has been crippled by fuel shortages since Israel suspended deliveries before the assault on Friday. Gaza medics warned they were unable to respond effectively to emergencies because of ​​“acute shortages”.

The announcement of the truce came hours before a peace agreement was signed in Doha by Chad’s transitional authorities and rebel groups.

The “Doha deal of peace”, signed on Monday, is expected to lead to a broad national reconciliation dialogue later this month in the Central African country, bringing together a wide range of groups and parties, as well as the government and the rebels.
Since March, Qatar has been mediating between opposition groups and the military government of Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, a general who seized power after his father died in a battle with rebels last year.
Al-Ansari told Al Jazeera that Qatar’s diplomatic efforts on all fronts are oriented towards “defusing tensions” before they reach a tipping point.
The foreign ministry said the dialogue, to be held in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, would seek “inclusive national reconciliation”.

... continue reading.

Qatar welcomes Israel-Gaza truce stopping the ‘waste of blood’ Read More »

MP’s request to name probe panel rejected

/

Arab Times –  arabtimesonline.com – August 9, 2023

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 9: The 2020 National Assembly looked into a total of 105 incoming letters – 46 in the first year and 59 in the second year; while 83 of these incoming letters were approved, three were rejected, 18 were reviewed and no decision was taken on one letter. The incoming letters included 14 from the political leadership, three from the Assembly’s Secretary General, 42 from the chairpersons of parliamentary committees and 46 from the MPs.
During the first year of the 16th parliamentary term; 33 incoming letters were approved, two were rejected and 10 were reviewed. The second year witnessed the approval of 50 incoming letters, rejection of one and review of eight. The Assembly received letters from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on March 30, 2021 – one to congratulate Marzouq Al-Ghanim on winning the speakership, response to the MPs who congratulated him for restoring Gulf unity through the reconciliation of Gulf countries, response to the greetings of MPs on the 60th National Day and 30th Liberation Day, and expression of gratitude for the MPs who congratulated him on his safe homecoming after undergoing overseas treatment. It also looked into similar letters from His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
The Assembly approved the following letters during the same session:
Request of several MPs to assign the Health, Culture and Social Affairs Committee to investigate violation of law number 18/1969 concerning Kuwaiti workers in the oil sector; ❑ Request of the Environment Affairs Committee to be given official instruction to analyze the environmental conditions in the country;
❑ Request of the Education, Guidance and Culture Affairs Committee chairman to give the committee an official directive to conduct research on ways to develop media and culture, as well as removing obstacles to such development;
❑ Request of the Education, Guidance and Culture Affairs Committee chairman to give the committee an official directive to study the factors leading to deterioration of education in public and private schools, obstacles to scientific research and delay in the issuance of the executive regulations for the Private Universities Law;
❑ Request of the Women and Children Affairs Committee chairman to give the committee an official directive to do a research and submit a report on Article 135 of the Penal Code regarding honor killing;
 

 

❑ Request of MPs Bader Al-Mullah and Yousef Al-Fadala to obligate the government to suspend armament deals until the Assembly is consulted in this regard. On the other hand, the Assembly rejected the request of MP Hassan Jowhar to assign the Public Funds Protection Committee to investigate Kuwait Army Fund, Malaysian Sovereign Fund, Eurofighter and Raval armament deals.
On April 14, 2021, the Assembly looked into the letters of His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince who responded to the MPs’ greetings on the advent of the Holy month of Ramadan. It also approved the following letters:
❑ Recommendation of the Foreign Affairs Committee chairman to hire qualified Kuwaiti retirees to speed up the implementation of the Kuwaitization policy in consulates and embassies;
❑ Request of MP Saleh Zeib Al-Mutairi to assign the Education, Guidance and Culture Affairs Committee to conduct a study and submit a report on paper-based exams for grade 12 students during the Covid-19 crisis. In addition, the Assembly postponed the approval of the request of several MPs to form a committee of MPs like the ministerial committee tasked to follow up developments related to the Covid-19 crisis.
On Jan 4, 2021, the Assembly looked into the letter of His Highness the Amir, thanking the MPs for greeting him on the first anniversary of his leadership. At the time, the Assembly also approved the request of MP Abdulaziz Al-Saqaabi to assign the Public Facilities Committee to study the causes of delayed establishment of labor cities; and request of MPs Abdulaziz Al-Saqaabi and Fayez Al-Jomhour to assign the Housing Affairs Committee to follow up the Mutla’a and South Abdullah Mubarak housing projects.
On Jan 18, 2021, the Assembly approved the request of MPs to assign the Public Facilities Committee to investigate the consequences of the strong rains that hit the country during New Year holiday. By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff

... continue reading.

MP’s request to name probe panel rejected Read More »

Syria regime raises price of subsidised petrol by 127%

/

August 8, 2022 at 1:40 pm | Middle East Monitor – Published in: Asia & Americas, Europe & Russia, International Organisations, Middle 

This picture taken on March 12, 2020 shows a view of oil production facilities at the Omar oil field in the eastern Syrian Deir Ezzor province. [DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images]

August 8, 2022 at 1:40 pm

The Syrian regime’s Ministry of Internal Trade raised the price of petrol by 127 per cent, the third increase this year, the SANA news agency reported.
The agency said the ministry has decided to raise the price of subsidised petrol from 1,100 liras per litre to 2,500 liras. It also raised the price of unsubsidised petrol from 3,500 liras to 4,000 liras per litre, and the price of high-octane gasoline from 4,000 to 4,500 liras.
The ministry said the increase aims to reduce the huge losses in the oil budget and to ensure the availability of petrol.
The increase comes at a time when the country is battling high prices, a shortage of fuel and daily electricity cuts.
This is the third time the Syrian regime has raised fuel prices this year.
In May the price of subsidised gasoline rose from 750 liras to 1,100 liras per litre.
READ: Syria: regime announces municipal elections
This comes as the Syrian pound continues to depreciate. The currency is trading at around 4,250 to the US dollar on the black market, compared to an official rate of 2,814.
The Syrian government relies mainly on Iran to secure oil derivatives.
The increase in oil prices increases the prices of food commodities and raw materials.
Since the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011, the oil and gas sector has suffered losses estimated at $91.5 billion as a result of continuous battles and the decline in production following the regime’s loss of control over major oil fields, in addition to economic sanctions imposed by Western countries.
READ: Russia announces elimination of opposition fighters trained by US Special Forces in Syria
According to the United Nations, most Syrians live below the poverty line, while the prices of goods have doubled across the country in recent months due to the repercussions of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

... continue reading.

Syria regime raises price of subsidised petrol by 127% Read More »

New Libyan Ambassador to Algeria submits credentials

/

New Libyan Ambassador to Algeria submits credentials

Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Libya’s new ambassador to Algeria, Saleh Himma, presented on Monday his credentials to Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, according to a statement by Algerian foreign ministry.
During the meeting, both diplomats discussed the “relations and and cooperation between the two countries and peoples,” as per the ministry’s statement.
They also discussed “the latest developments in the political and security situation in Libya, stressing the need to redouble and coordinate efforts to achieve the goal of building democratic institutions in light of a comprehensive Libyan reconciliation that ends differences and achieves security and stability”.

Tags:

... continue reading.

New Libyan Ambassador to Algeria submits credentials Read More »

Libya: Tripoli-based PM and Presidential Council chief meet to discuss unification of military

/

August 8, 2022 at 3:10 pm | Published in – Middle East Monitor – www.middleastmonitor.com –

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli, Libya on February 14, 2022 [Hazem Turkia/Anadolu Agency

August 8, 2022 at 3:10 pm

The head of Libya’s Presidential Council, Mohamed Menfi, and Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, discussed the unification of the country’s military establishment during a meeting held with several security officials in Tripoli yesterday, according to an official statement issued by the Presidential Council.
Menfi is also the commander in chief of the armed forces and Dbeibeh serves as defence minister by virtue of his position as prime minister.
Security officials who attended the meeting included army chiefs, members of the joint military committee, commanders of military areas, as well as officials from the counter-terror apparatus, the Presidential Guard, the intelligence, the military police and the operations unit.
During the meeting, the Libyan officials discussed the latest military developments, the work of the 5+5 Joint Military Committee, and steps taken to unify the military establishment apart from political divisions.
READ: Libya is a game of guns and militias with no end in sight
They also discussed the continuation of the ceasefire, which was signed in Geneva in October 2020 as a result of a Turkish-Russian initiative.
The meeting comes amid the country’s continued political crisis resulting from the existence of two rival governments: one headed by Fathi Bashagha, which was appointed last May by the same House of Representatives that backs the eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar. And another, headed by Tripoli-based Dbeibeh who refuses to step down except to an elected parliament.

... continue reading.

Libya: Tripoli-based PM and Presidential Council chief meet to discuss unification of military Read More »

Erdogan says Turkey does not seek removal of Assad in Syria

/

URL: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-syria-erdogan-says-not-seek-assad-removed
Middle East Eye
Turkish president argues relations need to be upheld as speculation grows that
Ankara will normalise relations with Damascus

Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a press conference in Lviv, Ukraine on 18 August (Reuters)
By  
Ragip Soylu
in
Ankara

Published date: 19 August 2022 09:52 UTC | Last update: 1 day 11 hours ago

606Shares

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey does not seek the removal of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad.
“We don’t have such an issue whether to defeat Assad or not,” he told journalists accompanying him on a trip to Ukraine.
“All the steps we have taken with Russians in northern Syria and the east and west of the Euphrates, there is a fight against terrorism.”
After a week of speculation that normalisation with the Syrian president’s government may be on the cards, Erdogan said Turkey will need to take “higher steps” with Damascus to end the “games” being played in the region.
He added that Turkey cannot totally cut off diplomatic relations with the Syrian government.
‘You have to accept that you cannot cut the political dialogue and diplomacy between the states’
– Recep Tayyip Erdogan
“You have to accept that you cannot cut the political dialogue and diplomacy between the states,” he said. “There should always be such dialogues. “
The Turkish president said he also wanted to work with Tehran in Syria but was unable to because “Iran has other plans as we see them”.
For weeks, Erdogan has suggested a Turkish military operation is close, with the aim of expelling Syrian Kurdish militants from areas around Syria’s Tal Rifaat and Manbij. On Friday, he once again stressed that Ankara was ready to launch the offensive.
He added that he discussed the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin and told him that the Syrian Kurdish armed factions have been resourced by the Assad government through oil sales done between Kurdish-controlled Qamishli and Damascus.
“The source of the money is the regime,” Erdogan said. “We don’t want to postpone this issue anymore. We don’t eye the Syrian territories. Syrian people are our brothers.”
While a Turkish-Russian brokered ceasefire has largely kept the frontlines static since 2019, UN-led peace talks centred on drafting a new constitution have stalled.
Erdogan said that he hopes that a new constitution will be drafted as soon as possible and the needs of the Syrian people fulfilled.
“We don’t host four million Syrian refugees to be perpetually at war with the regime,” he said. “We host them because of our ties with the Syrian people, especially religion. We hope the process from now on would be beneficial for everyone.”

Domestic pressure is growing on Ankara to warm relations with Damascus. The Turkish opposition’s calls for reconciliation between Turkey and Syria are increasing every day, as the public grows increasingly hostile to the nearly four million Syrian refugees in the country.
The Syrian government became an international pariah when it violently cracked down on protests in 2011 and sparked a civil war that is continuing and believed to have cost half a million lives.
Syria remains the biggest displacement crisis in the world, with 6.8 million refugees and 6.2 million people internally displaced, according to UN figures.
But in recent years, many Arab countries, most prominently the UAE, have resumed ties with Damascus. Several have been urging the Arab League to reinstate Syria. Meanwhile Washington has held direct talks with Syrian officials seeking compromises and the release of US journalist Austin Tice.
Crippled by a decade of war, harsh sanctions and a devastating economic crisis, Damascus is keen to re-engage, but many in Ankara find the Syrian government’s conditions for talks, not only with Turkey but also with the US and the Arab League, unrealistic.

... continue reading.

Erdogan says Turkey does not seek removal of Assad in Syria Read More »

Mortar fire hits Somalia capital as parliament approves cabinet

/

Agence France-Presse
last updated: 08/08/2022 – 12:01 AM – Jordan News.jo

 
(Photo: Jordan News)

MOGADISHU — Mortar shells struck residential neighborhoods near the presidential palace in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Sunday shortly after parliament convened to approve the recently appointed cabinet, underlining the security challenges confronting the new government. 

In addition to a looming famine, the Horn of Africa nation also faces a grinding Islamist insurgency, with Al-Shabaab militants ratcheting up their attacks in recent months.
On Sunday, as parliament met to approve Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre’s 75-member cabinet, which includes a former Al-Shabaab deputy leader, several rounds of mortar shells landed near the presidential palace, according to a security official and a witness.
“We have no recorded casualties so far as investigations are ongoing,” district security official Mohamed Abdifatah said.
One of the rounds damaged a medical facility in the area, according to an onlooker.
“One of the mortar rounds struck in the midst of the Xararyaale intersection and another hit a hospital close by,” Abdikadir Yare, a witness, said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which came weeks after recently elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud hinted at his government’s willingness to negotiate with Al-Shabaab, saying it would only happen when the time was right.
A total of 229 legislators voted in favor of the new cabinet, with seven votes against and one abstention.
Former Al-Shabaab deputy leader and spokesman Muktar Robow, who once had a $5-million US bounty on his head, will be the new religion minister.
Robow, 53, publicly defected from the Al-Qaeda-linked militants in August 2017.
The US embassy in Mogadishu on Sunday congratulated Mohamud and Barre “on the confirmation of their selections for the new cabinet”.
Soon after Mohamud’s election in May, US President Joe Biden ordered the re-establishment of a US troop presence in Somalia to help in the fight against Al-Shabaab, reversing a decision by his predecessor Donald Trump to withdraw most US forces.
Al-Shabaab has waged a bloody insurrection against the Mogadishu government for 15 years and remains a potent force despite an African Union operation against the group.
Its fighters were ousted from the capital in 2011, but continue to wage attacks on military, government and civilian targets.
In July, Mohamud said ending the violent insurgency required more than a military approach.

... continue reading.

Mortar fire hits Somalia capital as parliament approves cabinet Read More »