Chief of Makkah Chamber resigns

In a dramatic turn of events at the controversy-ridden Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), the incumbent chairman, Talal Mirza, has resigned both from the post as well as the chamber’s board of directors.
Mirza, a prominent businessman who was elected for a second term as MCCI chairman, put in his papers after months of wrangling and opposition.
He told Arab News that he resigned “in the best public interest.”
The opposition was delighted.
“We warmly welcome the resignation of Mirza. He should have resigned a long time ago,” said Saad Jamal Qureshi, one of the directors and a prominent figure in the opposition camp.
“We do not want the two incumbent vice chairmen to function. They should either be sacked or step down,” Qureshi said. “We hope and expect the commerce minister to come out with his decision in two weeks on the new MCCI management.”
Mirza was elected as chairman for a second term in April 2013, amid strong opposition. There was a revolt against him by several directors of the board led by Mohammed Abdul Samad Qureshi and Saad Jamal Qureshi.
In the dramatic events that followed, he was faced with a tough opposition from the board members who consistently blocked his decisions and proposals, which threatened the very functioning of the Makkah chamber.
Board members opposed to him held a meeting with the required quorum and dislodged Mirza. They elected Maher Jamal as chairman and Ehab Mushat and Mohammed Abdusamad Qureshi as vice chairmen.
Commerce Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, however, declared the opposition election as null and void, and stressed that Mirza was the legitimate chairman. Any move to oust him or his deputies would be contrary to the system, he had then said.
It is against this backdrop that Mirza’s resignation assumes significance. In fact, many people told Arab News that if the imbroglio was not settled amicably, whoever assumes the chairman’s post would meet with the same fate.
MCCI is one of the oldest chambers in the Kingdom. It was part of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1947, and then broke away from the parent body. Since then, elections to MCCI have always been controversial.