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Arabia |
'Sharia will not be sole source of law in new Qatari Constitution' |
2005-03-16 |
![]() The dispute erupted as a strong group in the Commission for the Constitutional Draft wanted Sharia law to be the only source of law, Yahya said. A more moderate trend, however, finally prevailed, he said. In April 2003, 96.6 per cent of Qataris voted in favour of a permanent constitution to replace the provisional constitution of 1970. It is set to come into force on June 7. He said in the future the Constitution could be further elaborated or integrated with inputs from other legislations in areas where the Sharia does not provide a legal framework. He said the charter does not mention what these other sources would be. Yahya said the charter, which provided for parliamentary elections and more women's rights, was advanced. "The new constitution provides for parliamentary elections and gender equality. It is one of the most modern of the Arab world," he said. Yahya has helped draft the new charter over the past two years, following a request by the Commission for the Constitutional Draft set up by the Qatari Emir, His Highness Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani. |
Posted by:Fred |