Participants in the national dialogue will continue discussing consensus on a number of issues in the dialogue’s main themes today (Thursday) to reach what would serve the interests of the country and to establish a solid base for the reform process as a support of the democracy, for which His Majesty the King laid the foundations.
The participants in the political theme are set to discuss the electoral system sub-theme which includes consensus on constituencies, naturalization and the electoral system, while the economic theme participants will discuss the redirection of subsidies and the contribution by the society towards the development and views related to reducing the budget deficit, identifying target groups, the returns of directing government subsidies, and social justice.
As for the rights theme participants will resume discussing the sub-theme related to human rights, including the aligning of national laws with international conventions on human rights, human rights organisations and their advocates, human rights and international organisations, implementation of the principles of human rights. The participants in the social theme have concluded all listed views during last Tuesday’s session.
Last Tuesday’s session witnessed an agreement by participants in the political theme on two of 3 visions, with the percentage of consensus on the visions recorded at 67%, most notably activating the will of the people in changing the government and casting their vote of confidence whether through a House vote on the Cabinet or voting on the government’s agenda, where in both cases the people’s representatives can vote for the government. The participants in the same theme also recorded a consensus with broad support on the vision that would lead to the appointment of the Prime Minister by His Majesty the King to form a government, with some expressing reservations who felt that choosing the Prime Minister should be made by the largest bloc in parliament.
In the economic theme, the issue of governance in the management of public funds have been debated, and interlocutors agreed on 35 visions taking the percentage of consensus on the vision to 100%, including requiring the National Audit Court to file lawsuits against offenders and the manipulators of public funds, the development and expansion of the functions and terms of reference and powers of the National Audit Court in terms of managing public funds, developing an executive programme for developing the recommendations of the National Audit Court’s reports, the implementation of the recommendations contained in the reports by the Parliamentary inquiry committees on the State Property and reclamation as well as the issuance of the necessary legislations to implement the governance procedures in all ministries and government agencies through a specific management, requiring bodies and government firms in which the government has more than 30 percent of its capital to implement governance systems and procedures and the application of procedures for financial control of funds and associations that collect public money and donations.
The rights theme participants dis ussed the freedom of expression and assembly and agreed on 28 visions, leading to a 100% consensus. This included expediting the ratification of the press and publication law through the legislative channels, the speedy promulgation of the audio-visual media law, and activating the code of conduct for journalists and not imprisoning journalists making sure that the law includes regulations and professional ethics to ensure that the profession is not being abused, in addition to the formation of a higher council for the press comprising journalists and media personnel and relevant civil society institutions, and not to shut down newspapers without a court order and not to prevent the entry of foreign publications without a court order, and not fire journalists arbitrarily because of their opinions. The right of journalists to obtain information from official bodies has also been affirmed, and to criminalise the defamation of customs and religions, and to expedite the issuance of the law of electronic media, taking into account internationally established norms and to review the law on organising meetings and rallies, taking into account international standards and human rights and to consider the law on rallies to take into account the educational foundations of children and that it would not affect human rights and to be in line with international human rights.
In the social theme, security and civil peace were discussed with participants agreeing of 8 visions, or 100% consensus, of which to develop a national plan to promote a culture of citizenship, and developing curriculum on citizenship and civil peace and renouncing violence in private and public schools after conducting studies and research to identify the reasons that led to the involvement of youth in illegal activities, and the production of media programmes directed at children and young people that deal with the psychological effects resulting from the crisis and contributing to strengthening civil peace through various media platforms in addition to the application of the law in all that affects the security and civil peace, and activating the role of the provinces, which bring together all factions, and intensifying and increasing cooperation with the army and security forces to support humanitarian work.