A referendum in Qatar has resulted in the abolition of legislative elections for the Shura Council, an advisory body with limited powers. The vote, which saw over 90% of eligible voters participate, approved a raft of constitutional amendments, including the return of Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s authority to appoint all members of the Shura Council. This decision marks the end of a short-lived experiment with democracy in the Gulf monarchy, which had seen the first and only legislative elections in 2021. The referendum also granted naturalized citizens the right to hold ministerial office, previously reserved for Qatari-born nationals. The decision to scrap legislative elections has been met with mixed reactions, with some praising the move as a return to stability and others criticizing it as a step back from democratic reforms.