Shura votes against lifting member’s immunity

Muscat: Members of the elected Shura Council voted by the narrowest of margins against lifting the immunity of a fellow representative sought by the Public Prosecution to face charges of defamation.

Dr Taleb Al Maamari, Council Representative from the northeastern province of Liwa, was wanted for questioning over a complaint filed by a government official claiming he was maligned by the former. The official who works at the Housing Ministry took offence over certain derogatory remarks purportedly made by the Council Member on his private Facebook page.

For his part, Dr Al Maamari denied he had anything to do with the incident, insisting that an unknown hacker had posted the offending remarks, which have since been removed.

Following an official request from the Public Prosecution to question the member, the Shura Council decided to put the matter to a vote. The move also followed inconclusive efforts by members of the Council’s Legal Committee to bring about a settlement between the accuser and Dr Al Maamari.

On Saturday, in a landmark vote that underscored the growing influence of the Shura in the country’s affairs, 32 representatives of the 66-member Council voted against lifting Dr Al Maamari’s immunity. Thirty others voted in favour of the move, while four abstained.

Significantly, the win will help mollify Dr Al Maamari’s local constituents, many of whom had staged noisy protests in Liwa to demonstrate their support for their elected representative.