While the Shoura Council intends to increase the number of female advisers who are six at present, Shoura Chairman Saleh Bin Humaid said at least half of the Shoura members would be changed before the beginning of the Shoura year, which starts after 75 days on Feb. 28, 2009. At the beginning of the new Shoura session, King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is expected to outline the Kingdom's internal and foreign policies as well as laying down the groundwork for the Shoura Council. Bin Humaid declined to give the number of new female advisers, and merely said that the current female advisers - who do not have voting power - are attending the sessions and express their opinions. Bin Humaid said “the normal situation is that the approval of any regulation needs a long time. In some countries, a regulation takes six years to be approved. We hope all would understand this, but overall, I believe our subjects are completed within a reasonable time. Any regulation or law starts from the concerned ministry, then goes to the Shoura Council and to the Council of Ministers, which refers it to the Experts Commission. It is then returned to the Council of Ministers. During these stages, the regulation or law is studied meticulously and the views of those concerned in the public and private sectors are taken according to a specific schedule.” He said that though there is flexibility in the Shoura Council in dealing with urgent matters like agreements. If required, they are accomplished within specified period. Commenting on those who accuse the Shoura Council of restraining some members who call for the resignation of some ministers, Bin Humaid said that they do not restrain opinions or criticism “and we do not dictate to them what they see as important. A member has the right to speak out his view and represents himself. This indicates the level of freedom in the Council. However heated it is, it represents the view of the member and not of the Council. We have a mechanism for approving any stand or resolution.” He pointed out that the Council gives freedom to all members “to express their views or any criticism. Despite this, the Shoura Council has great respect for the ministers, the ministries and their performance. Criticism does not mean belittling anyone. Some problems might have accumulated and the minister has nothing to do with them. The problems might have arisen years before he became a minister.” On the issue of sending questions to the ministers before they are quizzed by the council, he said the matter is tackled in the Western countries as a part of parliamentary procedures. Specific questions are sent to the minister so that he would answer them within a specified period before the parliament, but this has not been adopted in the Shoura Council. He said the members have the freedom to ask questions and give their comments. Bin Humaid further said the Council has no objection if the minister requests for the topics of the meeting and the questions to be raised before him. He said the Council's invitation for the citizens to express their opinions and air their suggestions is not new, as it was implemented about a year ago. The aim was to urge all to interact with the council. The concerned committee studies the opinions and suggestions and then hands over their summary to the minister before he meets with the Shoura Council members. The minister is duly informed that the questions came from the citizens.
