The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) organized a seminar today to mobilize citizen participation in the Central Municipal Council Elections, set to take place June 22 of this year.

NHRC Deputy Chairman Eng. Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari presented a paper during the seminar, in which he said that the State of Qatar's 2004 permanent constitution included articles that guaranteed the citizens' right to vote.

He explained that the permanent constitution of the State of Qatar affirmed in Article (6) of it that the state works to implement all international conventions, covenants and covenants to which it is a party, and accordingly, many principles and rules related to the right to vote can be derived from human rights conventions, to which the state has become a party. It constitutes an important source for strengthening the national legal framework governing the electoral process.

He noted that there are groups that need to overcome the obstacles that prevent them from exercising the right to vote and their poor representation, such as people with disabilities, women, youth and the elderly, pointing out that international and regional human rights agreements have approved the principle of equality and non-discrimination between citizens in enjoying the rights to participate in the management of public affairs, either directly or through freely chosen representatives, and the right to elect and be elected, as the human rights conventions concerned with these groups have approved their electoral rights in many of their provisions.

He presented a number of proposals that could lead to the effective realization of the right to vote, most notably the use of information and communication technology as new tools for participation in the electoral process and expanding its scope, while keeping in mind its harmful impact that include the dissemination of false information, in addition to promoting a culture of electoral participation, empowering the most vulnerable groups, especially university students and youth institutions, and inviting these bodies to carry out their responsibilities in this field, such as engaging in public discussions with students about the importance of participating, as well as enabling citizens outside the country to exercise their electoral right. (MORE)

Source: Qatar News Agency