Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Source: Getty
Summary: In an unexpected constitutional decree, Omanâs new sultan created a crown prince position and reconfigured the powers of the countryâs two-chamber assembly. But to create real change, he would have to empower the consultative council to truly represent citizens.
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On January 11, 2021, Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq issued a new constitutional decree creating the position of crown prince and laying down mechanisms to ensure stable transfers of power. Sultan Haitham’s decree came one year after he himself took power following the death of longtime former sultan Qaboos bin Said in what was then an informal process among the royal family.
Dhi Yazan bin Haitham set to become Oman s first Crown Prince
Sultan Haitham issued a new basic law outlining a revised succession plan and creating the role of Crown Prince
Sayyid Dhi Yazan bin Haitham attends the Sultan Qaboos Cup final between Dhofar and Al Orouba at the Rustaq Sports Complex, west of the Omani capital Muscat in November. AFP
Omani Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth Dhi Yazan bin Haitham and President of Olympic Council of Asia Sheikh Ahmed Al Fahad Al Jaber attend the 39th Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly Meeting. AFP
Dhi Yazan bin Haitham presents the trophy to Dhofar players after winning the Sultan Qaboos Cup final. AFP
The announcement was made through the Twitter account of the government’s communications office.
Sultan Haitham bin Tariq had issued a decree on Monday setting a “specific and stable mechanism” for succession, providing for the appointment of a crown prince for the first time.
Official media did not mention the name of the crown prince, but Sultan Haitham’s oldest son is Dhi Yazan Bin Haitham, currently minister for culture, sports and the youth.
Under Article 5 of the new Fundamental Law, the Sultan’s throne “is passed on to the eldest of his sons, then to the eldest of the latter’s sons, and so on.” Sultan Haitham took the throne last January after the death of his cousin Sultan Qaboos, modern Oman’s founding father who had neither a brother nor a child to succeed him.
Eldest son of Sultan to succeed in Oman under new law
MUSCAT, January 13, 2021 The recently promulgated Basic Law of the State of Oman stipulates that the power passes from the Sultan to his first-born son and then to his eldest son. The Basic Law of the State (also referred to as the Basic Statute of the State), promulgated by Royal Decree No 6/2021, Article 5 stipulates that the system of governance is hereditary in the male descendants of Sultan Turki bin Said bin Sultan (1832 to 1888), said an
Oman News Agency report. As per the law, the present Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said s eldest son Dhi Yazan will succeed him, reports said.