Citizens in Qatar voted in the country’s first legislative elections. The poll on Saturday was held to fill 30 seats in the country’s 45-member Shura Council. Qatar’s emir will appoint the other 15 members of the Shura Council.
Voter turnout on Saturday was 63.5%, according to the Supervisory Committee for the elections. Men and women voted in separate areas of the polling places. None of the 28 female candidates were elected to the council, according to reports on Sunday.
The Shura Council will have legislative authority and approve the country’s budget and general state policies. It will not set defense, security, economic and investment policy, however.
Qataris make up about 10 percent of its 2.7 million population; most others are foreign workers. Only descendants of people who were citizens in 1930 were eligible to vote or run for the council, preventing naturalized citizens and their family members from voting.