The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, announced today, Monday, a constitutional amendment that includes naming a crown prince for the first time and setting new rules governing the work of Parliament.
And according to the official Oman News Agency, the Sultan issued two decrees with a new Basic Law for the State and the Law of the Oman Council, in response to the requirements of the Sultanate in the next phase.
The Sultanate’s Basic Law decree includes setting up a specific and stable mechanism for transferring the mandate of power in the Sultanate, setting up a mechanism for appointing the Crown Prince, stating his duties and powers, and affirming the principle of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary as the basis for governance.
The decree also stipulated the establishment of a committee affiliated with the Sultan to follow up and evaluate the performance of ministers and deputy ministers, and provided a text for the state's financial and administrative oversight body to support its role in achieving governance.
With regard to the tasks entrusted to the Council of Oman, it assumes the approval or amendment of laws referred to it by the government, proposes draft laws, and discusses development plans and the state's general budget.
Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who died in January 2020, was not named an heir to the throne, unlike his counterparts from the rulers of the Arab Gulf region, as he did not have children or brothers, unlike the current Sultan, who has 4 children and 8 brothers.
The system of government in the Sultanate of Oman is considered a hereditary Sultanate of male descendants of Turki bin Said bin Sultan.