Shura Council Internal Regulations

Part One

Powers of Speaker, Vice Speaker, and Secretary General

Article One:

The Speaker shall supervise all of the Council functions, representing the Council relations with other agencies and organizations and shall be the Council spokesman.

Article Two:

When attending, the Speaker shall head all Council sessions and Steering Committee meetings, as well as any other committee meetings.

Article Three:

The Speaker shall open and adjourn Council sessions, manage and participate in discussions, give the floor, determine the discussion topic, draw the speaker's attention to time limit and subject matter of discussion, end discussion, and put matters to a vote. The Speaker shall do whatever is deemed appropriate and sufficient to maintain order during sessions.

Article Four:

           The Speaker shall call the Council, the Steering Committee, or any other committee for an emergency session to discuss a specific issue.

Article Five:

The Vice Speaker shall assist the Speaker when present and assume powers in his absence.

Article Six:

            In case of Speaker absence, the Vice Speaker shall preside over sessions and Steering Committee meetings. In case both the Speaker and the Vice Speaker are absent, whomever is designated by the King shall preside.

Article Seven:

The Secretary General or whomever is designated shall attend Council sessions and Steering Committee meetings. He shall oversee the writing of proceedings and announce session schedule and agenda to members in addition to all duties assigned to him by the Steering Committee or by the Speaker. He shall be accountable for the Council financial and administrative affairs before the Speaker.

Part Two

Council Steering Committee

Article Eight:

The Steering Committee shall consist of the Speaker, the Vice Speaker, and the heads of specialized committees.

Article Nine:

Steering Committee meetings shall not be valid unless attended by at least two thirds of all members. Resolutions shall pass by majority vote of attending members. In case of a tie, favor is given to the side with whom the head of the meeting votes.

Article Ten:

All Steering Committee meetings shall have proceedings that include date, timetable, attendance, summery of discussions, and recommendations. Proceedings shall be signed by the Speaker and members present.

Article Eleven:

Steering Committee areas of specialty shall be the following:

 (a) Setting plans for the Council and its committees in order to perform duties and achieve goals.

 (b) Setting agenda for Council sessions.

 (c) Providing final decision on objections referred to it either by the Speaker or the Council regarding contents of session proceedings, voting results, or any other objections that may arise during Council sessions.

 (d) Issuing necessary regulatory rules for the Council and its committees in accordance with Council's laws and regulations.

Part Three

Sessions

Article Twelve:

Majlis Ash-Shura shall hold an ordinary session at least once every two weeks. Date and time shall be determined pursuant to the Speaker's decision who may advance or postpone sessions when necessary.

Article Thirteen:

Session agenda shall be delivered to members ahead of convening the session, along with reports pertaining to the topics of the agenda and whatever the Steering Committee deems necessary.

Article Fourteen:

            Each Council member should review the agenda within Majlis Ash-Shura Premises. He is not to accompany any paperwork or documents related to his work outside the Premises under any circumstances.

Article Fifteen:

            Written requests to take the floor should be submitted by members during session where these requests shall take turns.

Article Sixteen:

Taking into account turns and the benefit of session deliberation; the Speaker shall give permissions to take the floor.

Article Seventeen:

When taking the floor, no member is allowed to exceed ten minutes in talking about the same topic without Speaker authorization. A member shall talk to none but the Speaker or the Council. Only the Speaker is authorized to distract a member taking the floor.

Article Eighteen:

The Council has the right to postpone or revisit the deliberation of a topic. The Speaker has the right to adjourn a session for not more than one hour.

Article Nineteen:

A Proceeding for each session shall be written containing venue, date, opening time, chairman's name, number of members present and absent, reasons for absence (if any), summary of discussions, number of voters in favor and against, voting result, resolutions text, issues related to postponement or adjournment of the session, as well as any other matters the Speaker desires to includes.

Article Twenty:

The Proceedings shall be read to the Council members then shall be signed by the Speaker and the Secretary General or whoever is acting on his behalf. All members have the right to view it afterwards.

Part Four

Committees

Article Twenty-One:

At the outset of its term, Majlis Ash-Shura shall form the necessary specialized committees from amongst Council members to exercise its powers.

Article Twenty-Two:

            Majlis Ash-Shura shall determine the number of each specialized committee provided that no less than five members should serve in each committee. For each committee, a head and a deputy are to be named. Members' fields of specialty and the needs of committees should be taken into account during that process. The Council has the power to form specialized committees to study specific issues. Each committee can form a sub-committee or more to study a specific issue.

Article Twenty-Three:

The Council has the right to reform all specialized committees and form new ones.

Article Twenty-Four:

The head of a committee shall manage its work and speak on its behalf before the Council. The deputy shall preside over the committee in the absence of the head. The eldest member shall preside over the committee in the absence of both the head and his deputy.

Article Twenty-Five:

             A committee shall convene upon a call from the head or from the Council or from the Speaker.

Article Twenty-Six:

          Committees meetings shall not be open to the public. A committee meeting shall not be considered formal without the attendance of at least two thirds of members. Each committee on the suggestion of its head shall set an individual agenda. Committee recommendations are issued based on majority vote of attending members. In case of a tie, favor is given to the side with whom the head of the meeting votes.

Article Twenty-Seven:

            Committees shall study whatever is referred to them either by the Council or by the Speaker. If the issue concerns more than one committee, the Speaker shall decide which committee should look into it or refer it to a committee combining all members of concerned committees. This committee shall be presided by the Speaker or Vice-Speaker.

Article Twenty-Eight:

Any Council member has the right to express his opinion on any issue referred to a specific committee even if he is not a member of that committee provided that the opinion is submitted in writing to the Speaker.

Article Twenty-Nine:

           Proceedings shall be submitted for each committee meeting indicating date, venue, attendance, discussion summary and recommendations. Head of the meeting and members present shall sign the proceedings.

Article Thirty:

Upon completion of a study, a committee shall prepare a written report stating the referred issue, opinion, recommendations, reasons for the recommendations, and minority opinion if any.

Part Five

Resolutions, Voting and Adoption

Article Thirty-One:

            Majlis Ash-Shura resolutions shall be adopted by majority vote as set forth in Article Sixteen of Majlis Ash-Shura Law. In case a majority vote is not attained, the topic shall be rescheduled for voting in the following session. In event the topic does not win the necessary majority in the following session, the issue shall be brought before the King along with any relevant study as well as the voting results in both sessions.

Article Thirty-Two:

While voting discussion or proposal of new opinions shall not permissible. In all cases, the Speaker shall vote after members' voting is accomplished.

PART SIX

General Provisions

Article Thirty-Three:

The Annual Report shall be submitted by the Speaker before the end of the first three months of the following year as set forth in Article Twenty-Five of Majlis Ash-Shura Law. The Annual Report shall state all achievements of the past year including studies, activities, all issued resolutions, and stages of the studies of all other issues pending before the Council.

Article Thirty-Four:

Financial and personnel affairs of the Council shall be governed in accordance with the financial and personnel regulations. The Speaker shall issue the necessary rules regulating the administrative and financial activities, including the organizational chart and duties of the various Council departments in accordance with the Law and regulations of Majlis Ash-Shura.