Cabinet adopted 80% of Shoura decisions

The government has adopted 80 percent of the resolutions taken by the 150-member Shoura Council over the years, said Mohammed Al-Muhanna, a spokesman of the consultative body.
He emphasized the council’s role in accelerating the Kingdom’s development.
“Individuals who criticize the Shoura must know that about 80 percent of our resolutions have been endorsed by the Council of Ministers,” Al-Muhanna said in a statement carried by an Arabic newspaper.
He said the Cabinet would not take any decision on the consultative body’s observations relating to such ministerial reports.
However, Al-Muhanna pointed out that the Cabinet would inform the minister concerned about the Shoura’s observations in order to take corrective steps.
He noted the good cooperation between the Cabinet and the Shoura since the latter discusses many issues and laws upon directives from the Cabinet.
Al-Muhanna said citizens have every right to criticize the Shoura and its performance, adding that the Shoura has been working to reach up to their expectations.
The Shoura hosted four ministers and 360 officials to discuss various matters related to citizens last year alone, he said.
Badr Almotawa, a Saudi journalist who has attended several Shoura sessions in the past, commended the consultative council’s significant role in reviewing the Kingdom’s rules and regulations.
Speaking with Arab News, he said that the Shoura has made considerable progress over the years. “It has achieved international recognition and is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. It has been given powers to monitor the performance of ministries and government departments.”
Almotawa said he had noticed that most Shoura members were performing their duties professionally. “The appointment of women to the Shoura was a major shift and we have more female members than many other parliaments in the world,” he said.
He urged the Shoura to interact with the public and address their issues more constructively.