Middle East Monarchies

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Middle East Monarchies

• Two brief cases in the nature and strategies of
  autocratic rule

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Case Study Qatar

• Nature of the Regime
• Emirate absolute monarch from al-Thani clan
• No political parties or organized opposition
• Strategy 1 keep citizens happy
• Free education, health care for citizens at all
  levels. Average pp annual income 20,000
• Helpful factors tiny population, lots of oil
• Population about 863,000, but only about 20 are
  Qatari citizens
• 90 of work force foreign
• 10 of worlds proven oil reserves

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Qatari Emirate
Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani
Al-Thani Family
Municipal Council elected, universal suffrage 29
members
Al-Shoura Consultative Council 45
members Elected appointed
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Qatar, cont.

• Strategy 2 Allow some outlets for expression
• Relative freedom of speech and expression
• Elected 29-person municipal advisory council
  (currently includes one woman)
• 2003 Constitution
• Guarantees of civil rights
• Home of al-Jazeera TV (private but funded by
  Qatari govt)

• Strategy 3 defend tradition
• Maintain social order
• Wahabbi Islam
• Women suffrage, but strong social codes limit
  public participation and work

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New Qatari Constitution some excerpts

• Article 8 The rule of the State is hereditary in
  the family of Al Thani and in the line of the
  male descendants of Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Hamad
  Bin Abdullah Bin Jassim. The rule shall be
  inherited by the son named as Heir Apparent by
  the Emir. In the case that there is no such son,
  the prerogatives of rule shall pass to the member
  of the family named by the Emir as Heir Apparent.
  In this case, his male descendants shall inherit
  the rule.
• Article 67 The Emir shall discharge the following
  functions1. Drawing up the general policy of the
  State with the assistance of the Council of
  Ministers2. Ratification and promulgation of
  laws and no such law may be issued unless it is
  ratified by the Emir3. Summoning the Council of
  Ministers to convene at any time deemed necessary
  for public interest and the Emir shall preside
  over the meetings of the Council of Ministers
  that he attends4. Appointment of civil servants
  and military personnel and terminating their
  service in accordance with the law5. Accrediting
  diplomatic and consular missions6. Granting
  pardon or commuting penalty in accordance with
  the law7. Conferring civilian and military
  orders and badges of honour in accordance with
  the law8. Establishment and organization of
  ministries and other Government bodies and
  specifying their functions9. Establishment and
  organization of such consultative bodies to
  assist him in directing, supervising, and
  specifying the functions of the high policies of
  the State10. Any other functions vested upon him
  by this Constitution or the law.
• Article 76- Al-Shoura Council shall assume the
  legislative authority, approve the general policy
  of the Government, the budget, and it shall
  exercise control over the executive authority as
  specified in this Constitution.
• Article 77 Al-Shoura Council shall consist of
  forty-five Members thirty of whom shall be
  elected by direct, general secret ballot and the
  Emir shall appoint the remaining fifteen Members
  from amongst the Ministers or any other persons.
  The term of service of the appointed Members in
  Al-Shoura Council shall expire when these Members
  resign their seats or are relieved from their
  posts.

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Case Study Jordan

• Created by British out of Palestine Mandate
• Constitutional monarchy
• Democratization forward and back since 1989
• Resource poor
• Average pp annual income 1,800
• Population
• About 5.7 million people (most have citizenship)
• 70-80 urban
• Social cleavages Transjordanians vs
  Palestinians
• 1.5 million officially displaced Palestinians

Map Human Rights Watch
A vendor in Amann. Photo taken by tourist Jordan
Klein.
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Jordan Structure of the Regime
King (Abdullah II) Can dissolve Parliament Rule
by decree Appoint PM Approve Legislation
Parliament 40-person Senate (appointed) 80-person
chamber of deputies (universal suffrage)
Prime Minister Council of Ministers (appointed
by king)
Hashemite Family
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Ruling in Jordan strategies

• Strategy 1 make maintain key alliances
• Transjordanians
• Indigenous to East Bank
• Bedouin Tribes/Army
• PLO

• Strategy 2 suppress dissent
• Suspensions of Parliament
• Temporary laws
• State Security Courts
• No politics in mosques, educational insts.,
  clubs
• Strategy 3 Invent tradition

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Theories on Authoritarianism the Rentier State
Rentier Statea state that receives substantial
income (rents) from foreign sources, and where
only a few people are engaged in the generation
of this wealth.
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ME Rentier states, with of government revenue
or GDP from oil or nat. gas

• Saudi Arabia 70-80 govt revenue 40 GDP
• Kuwait 40 GDP
• UAE 30 GDP
• Qatar 60 govt. revenue
• Iraq
• Iran 40-50 govt revenue

• Oman 40 GDP
• Libya 70 govt. revenue

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Why might rentier states be less democratic than
others?

• No taxation, so fewer calls for representation
• More at states disposal to put into internal
  security
• Economic growth not accompanied by social impacts
  of conventional industrialization
• State as patron