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 Omani Interior Minister Su’ud Al-Busu’udi announced on 19 November 2006 that general elections would be held to renew the Omani Shura (Consultative) Council. He said that the elections would be held in October 2007.
The Omani News Agency quoted the minister as saying that these elections “will be held in a new form” without making any further clarifications.
The incumbent Omani Shura Council consists of 83 members, including two ladies. Members of the council were elected by direct balloting in 2003 for the first time in the history of the Sultanate of Oman.
All Omani men and women who reached 21 years of age were entitled to participation in the elections, or a total of 822,000 persons out of the total population. Nonetheless, 262,000 persons only registered their names for voting in the elections, including 95,000 women.
The Omani Shura Council offers advice to the government on the economic and social issues. However, it does not interfere in the defense, internal security and foreign policy affairs
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