The signatories said the reason for their rejection is the failure of the amendment to include the conditions for the president’s candidacy
The High Council of State (HCS) voted to approve the 13th constitutional amendment, which was approved by the House of Representatives (HoR) earlier and officially adopted after its publication in the Official Gazette.
The media office of the HCS said that the members voted, during an emergency session on Thursday, chaired by the Head Khalid Al-Mishri, with the approval of the majority of members after a quorum was completed on the 13th constitutional amendment.
The HCS also agreed to start forming a committee to develop electoral laws to be approved during the next session.
A source close to the HCS said that the members who attended Thursday’s session did not exceed 60 members, adding that 53 members of those present voted to approve the constitutional amendment.
Last week, 54 HCS members issued a statement affirming their rejection to pass the 13th constitutional amendment without resolving the controversial points and transferring them to laws.
The signatories said the reason for their rejection is the failure of the amendment to include the conditions for the president’s candidacy, granting the president broad powers, and not obligating the elected National Assembly to fulfill the constitutional tasks within a specified period of time, in addition to canceling the parliamentary elections in the event of the presidential failure, as stated in the amended constitutional text in Article 29. They said that it is necessary to include and resolve these issues in the text of the constitutional amendment.
