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Saudi Shura Council Disowns Members’ Statements | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh addressing at the Majlis Al Shura in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 1, 2010.


Riyadh- Saudi Shura Council disowned statements made by some of its members as its tenure will end in a couple of months.

The council tweeted on Wednesday, “statements made by members of the Shura Council do not represent the council’s point of view”. Other tweets added that the council’s opinion is only represented in resolutions issued following the consensus of the majority.

Dr. Khalil al-Kurdi, member of the appropriation committee at the Shura Council, called those retired from public sector to work in the private sector and “stop demanding high salaries”. Al-Kudi statement came as a response to some Saudis’ requests to increase retiring salaries.

He said that public salaries have decreased worldwide and not in Saudi Arabia only. In the same context, the council approved and recommended the “cost of living allowances” rule.

Although the council disowned from its members’ statements, some of the discussions within the council have similar dimensions to these of Dr. Khalil al-Kurdi. Such statements have rebounds especially if they are related to the economy and services’ sector.

Remarkably, item number five of the council charter stipulates that, “the council member should abide by neutrality and objectivity when performing operations inside the council. The member should refrain from raising a topic related to personal interest or contradicted with public interest”.