By Admin
Has anyone else felt as if they are watching everything fall apart around them right now? As those of us in Muscat drink our third or fourth Starbucks of the week, complain about the traffic and contemplate whether we spend the weekend by the beach or driving up in the mountains, people in the world are fighting for what they believe in. People assume that those living in the Middle East deal with protests, suicide bombers and crazy dictators on a daily basis. But for me at least, in Oman, the restrictions are not so obvious – except pork, alcohol and media related. I have found it fascinating watching the events in Tunisia and Egypt unfolding – one of those real “watching history unfold” type moments .
So The Scribe is wondering about the state of affairs here in Oman and indeed in Malaysia. We are now hearing a kind of paranoia gripping the BN/Umno Regime in Malaysia. It's leaders such as the Prime Minister Najib Razak and Deputy PM Muhydeen sre talking about a 'Coup D'Etat' in Malaysia while Defense Minister Zahid Hamid has declared that he is willing to die to save the Prime Minister. The Big Question here is "Are we gonna have the 13th General Election in Malaysia or are we gonna have a 'Jasmine Revolution' in Malaysia. Whatever the case, regime change in Malaysia in whatever form is now ripe.
Just as in Egypt and Tunisia, Malaysians can't have a Free and Fair Elections when the Police, Armed Forces, the Election Commission, the MACC, the entire Civil Service are at the behest of the BN/Umno Regime. To add to this, we have a biased and manipulative media that is pro-BN/Umno. All these should suffice to create another Jasmine Revolution in Malaysia. One must remember that the Jasmine Revolution was not orchestrated by any political party or foreign government but by simple patriotic citizens who simply got fed up by the arrogance and abuses by the ruling regimes.
Coming back to Oman,inSalalah, Sohar and Muscat there has been significant protests over the last week as we all know. There have been Royal Decrees issued all week. The picture above is from the very well written blog by Dan & Jillian Kearney, who are teachers based in Sohar. Go and read their blog, there are some excellent insights and images there. I hope they don't mind I pinched the picture above!
The main demands (10 in total) have been posted on the Al Harah web forum, and I've posted them here (as best as I can tell after Google Translate has had a go):
1. A formal and explicit apology from the Omani Government, in various media, to the families of martys, wounded, prisoners. And that there is just compensation for these people.
2. Removal of the Inspector General of the Royal Oman Police because he is responsible for deaths in sohar
3. The Resignation of the Attorney General because he used to report to IG of Police, and the new AG to be an selected from the Judges.
4. Determination of a group of judges of the Supreme Court to oversee the Commission on the Truth The current problem of the public prosecutor on the events of Sohar, with an emphasis on the Committee's deliberations to be open and published in the media first hand.
5. The dismissal of cabinet ministers who said the people by refusing to, and not assigned to any position, official or ceremonial; Ali bin Majid Al Ma'amari, Ahmed bin Abdul Nabi Macki, Maqbool bin Ali bin Sultan, Khamis bin Mubarak Al Alawi, Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Rashidi, and Chancellor Abdul Aziz Bin Mohammed Al Rawas.
6. The formation of the Government of competencies and a national at the earliest opportunity, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister appointed by the Sultan for a period of two years, so that you are the government - in addition to her duties - reviewed all of the popular demands that emerged from the demonstrations and sit-ins in various regions of the Sultanate, carried out the following priorities:
1 - the formation of economic committee composed of experts Omani economists the task of putting packs economic urgency, to address the claims of economic made by the protesters, with a focus on the problems of unemployed workers and the poor classes in society, and the low salaries of public and private sectors, military, retirees, and to develop radical solutions to the national economy, particularly acquisitions and the crisis of economic monopoly.
2 - to form a committee of experts from the field of education to review the various stages of the educational system, including higher education and its institutions.
7. The formation of an independent judicial commission to investigate cases of corruption and financial security and administrative support.
8. Establishing a National Council for the drafting of the Constitution of Oman, that the ends of his works, to present the draft constitution to a popular referendum in a maximum period of two years from the date of the establishment of the Council.
9. The establishment of a constitutional court separate and apart from the Supreme Court.
10. Expanding the powers of the Shura Council in Legislature and Regulatory matters, and held accountable to the Council of Ministers until the adoption of the Constitution of Oman.
And today, in what is been seen as really big news, HM has acted and removed the following people from office:
Ali bin Majid Al Ma'amari, minister of Royal Office, oman's security apparatus. He's been replaced by General Sultan Al Nu'mani, presently head of Royal Court Affairs.
Nasr bin Humood Al Kindi takes place of Sultan Al Nu'mani at Royal Court Affairs
Ali bin Humood Al Busaidi, minister of Diwan has been replaced by Khalid bin Hilal
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