Sultan of Oman Appoints Members of State Council, including 18 Women

The State Council of Oman (Omani News Agency)
The State Council of Oman (Omani News Agency)
TT

Sultan of Oman Appoints Members of State Council, including 18 Women

The State Council of Oman (Omani News Agency)
The State Council of Oman (Omani News Agency)

The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, issued on Wednesday a royal decree appointing members of the State Council, the second legislative chamber. The council consists of 86 members, including 18 women.

The Sultan also issued a decree appointing 14 members, including three women, to the Omani Human Rights Commission.

Sultan Haitham bin Tariq also invited the Shura Council to hold its first extraordinary session, on Thursday, Nov. 9, to elect a president and two vice-presidents for the tenth term (2023-2027).

Women lost two seats they held in the Shura Council, as no female candidate was able to win membership in the 90-member Council during the elections on Sunday.

843 candidates, including 32 women, competed in the elections, according to the final lists of candidates. The total number of voters who registered for the elections reached 753,690 voters, of whom 496,279 male and female voters actually participated, a rate of 65.88 percent.

The appointed State Council and the elected Shura Council form the two legislative chambers, and together they constitute the Council of Oman.

According to its founding law, the Council of State is a legislative institution with a legal personality that enjoys financial and administrative independence. The Council consists of a president and members, who are appointed by a decree issued by the Sultan of Oman.

The State Council is entrusted with approving or amending draft laws referred by the government, proposing draft laws and referring them to the government for review and discussing draft development plans and the state’s general budget, along with other tasks.



UN Supports Saudi-Led Calls for Ceasefire in the Middle East

Stephane Dujarric (AFP)
Stephane Dujarric (AFP)
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UN Supports Saudi-Led Calls for Ceasefire in the Middle East

Stephane Dujarric (AFP)
Stephane Dujarric (AFP)

The United Nations reaffirmed its unwavering support for efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Palestine, Lebanon, and all conflict zones across the Middle East, following the calls made at the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit held in Riyadh on Monday.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the international organization remains committed to supporting all efforts aimed at de-escalating the situation in the region. This includes working towards a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the unconditional release of all hostages in Gaza, as reported by SPA on Wednesday.
He emphasized that UN Secretary-General António Guterres continues to stress the importance of ending the Israeli occupation and implementing the two-state solution, which is viewed as a fair and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Arab and Islamic Summit was convened at the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and was chaired by Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.