Qatar’s citizens
voted for the very first time in elections, albeit for an advisory council, on
Saturday in a long-delayed step that aims to give people in the absolute
monarchy a little bit of a voice in the administration of the country.

The officials
in the kingdom of Qatar call the vote an “experiment,” and it comes amid
the spotlight on the country that is readying itself for the 2022 World Cup and
it has generated pressure for reform. Qatar first introduced plans for the
legislative elections in its 2003 constitution, but authorities repeatedly
postponed the vote.

Qataris on
Saturday headed to the polls to choose two-thirds of the 45-member Shura
Council, which drafts laws, approves state budgets, debates major issues, and
provides advice to ruling emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The body however
cannot interfere in the matters of defense, security, and the economy.

The vast
majority of the nearly 300 candidates are men, with nearly all hailing from the
same family or tribe in several districts, the Associated Press reported.

The
country’s electoral law, which distinguishes between born and naturalized
Qatari citizens, and bars the latter from electoral participation, has drawn
criticism from rights groups. In a report last month, Human Rights Watch
described the system as “discriminatory,” excluding thousands of
Qataris from running or voting. The disqualifications have sparked minor tribal
protests that led to several arrests.

Sheikh
Tamim, who previously elected all the council members, will handpick the
remaining 15 members of the body and retain ultimate authority over decision-making
in the energy-rich country. Like other Gulf Arab states, Qatar bans political
parties. Foreign workers outnumber Qatari citizens in the tiny country of 2.8
million nearly nine to one.

Among the
sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf, only Kuwait’s parliament has genuine sway over
the government, with lawmakers empowered to introduce laws and question
ministers. The elected body, however, clashes frequently and raucously with the
emir-appointed Cabinet, blocking major initiatives and hampering economic development.

The move brings Qatar more in line with the
United Arab Emirates, where citizens vote for a limited number of seats in a
consultative parliament that advises the government.

(With inputs from the Associated Press)