Shura council election in Qatar: Influences that shape how voters select candidates |
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Authors: | Hessa Al-Thani Aisha Al-Ahmadi Ahmed Al-Emadi |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Social Science, College of Education, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar;2. Departments of Psychological Science, College of Education, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar |
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Abstract: | Qatar, a small Gulf Arab nation with a de facto absolute monarchy, held its first general elections ever for 30 Shura Council seats on October 2, 2021. This marked the first time in Qatar's history that citizens played a more direct role in government, moving beyond symbolic elections. This study aimed to examine the factors likely to have influenced voters' selection of candidates, the key issues that are significant to Qatari citizens, and the possible characteristics of candidates that are deemed essential. While informal conversations are the main method of data collection for this study, social identity theory, specifically group-based models, was used to understand the influences that shape Qatari voters' choices of candidates. Findings indicate that tribe-related and family-connected attributes constitute important influences on voters' choice decisions. Moreover, voters were concerned about candidates' characteristics and the issues and policies candidates deemed important. Discussion and recommendations are provided. |
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Keywords: | exit poll research Qatar Shura Council voting patterns |
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