HE the Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani (centre) with the members of the fifth round of the CMC after the inaugural session. PICTURES: Jayaram
By Ayman Adly/Staff Reporter
The opening session of the newly elected Central Municipal Council (CMC) was inaugurated and led yesterday by HE the Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning (MMUP) Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani.
All the newly elected 29 members of the fifth round of the CMC cast their votes by way of secret ballot to elect the chairman and vice-chairman. Mohamed Mahmoud al-Shafi, a member during a number of previous CMC rounds, was elected chairman with 15 votes. Saeed bin Rashid al-Muhannadi got eight votes, followed by outgoing vice-chairman Jassim al-Malki with six votes.
Though Hamad Lahdan al-Muhannadi and Rabea Hamad al-Kaabi contested for the post of the vice chairman, the latter withdrew before the casting of votes started and al-Muhanadi declared elected.
The new members of the CMC subsequently recited the official oath, one by one before HE the Minister, committing to honour their position and discharge their duties with all sincerity.
The Minister felicitated the new members for winning their seats, stressing that CMC enhances the culture of participation in the society, based on the directives of HH the Emir and HE the Prime Minister. He pointed out that the strategy of the CMC’s work will be developed aiming at establishing the rules of development. The ultimate target of the council is to serve the country and its residents and achieve the desired progress in all related fields.
HE Sheikh Abdulrahman further thanked CMC members for communicating the voice of the people and promoting the demands and needs, putting adequate recommendations, within the spirit of teamwork. He emphasised that all CMC recommendations will be discussed and taken seriously into consideration.
Al-Shafi, the newly elected CMC chairman stressed he would shoulder in all seriousness the responsibilities and duties of the new position. He also urged CMC members to work hard together to win the trust of their voters through communicating their requests and discussing the possible solutions for them.
Al-Shafi highly appreciated the sincere efforts of HE the Minister in supporting the council. “He always opens his office for CMC members and listens to them, with respect worthy of appreciation,” he stressed.
The council will stop its sessions for the summer holidays. It normally resumes its sessions in September. Every two weeks, the council holds a regular session, where its members discuss various municipal affairs and services and put their suggestions for possible solutions and action to be taken.
Most of the CMC recommendations are addressed to the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning, and the Minister’s office while some other recommendations are usually addressed to various public services entities. Currently, the council has no legislative or executive powers.
