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Academic formal qualification criteria for parliamentary candidacy in Oman: Constitutional basis, comparative perspectives, and reform directions for knowledge-based governance
Vol 4, Issue 3, 2026
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Abstract
This article examines the legal and constitutional basis of academic formal qualification criteria for parliamentary candidacy in the Sultanate of Oman and assesses their adequacy in light of modern legislative responsibilities and Oman Vision 2040. It adopts a comparative-analytical and jurisprudential approach, combining doctrinal analysis of Omani constitutional and electoral provisions with a comparative review of selected Gulf, Arab, and international parliamentary systems. The study traces the evolution of candidacy requirements from early consultative traditions to the reforms introduced in 2011 and retained in subsequent legislation. The analysis finds that adopting the General Education Diploma as a minimum qualification represented an important institutional development, but that this threshold no longer appears sufficient for the increasingly technical demands of legislative work, including policy scrutiny, legal review, and oversight of public finance. This study examines whether the current academic qualification threshold remains adequate in light of evolving legislative demands. It argues that there are credible legal, comparative, and jurisprudential grounds to reconsider the existing framework, while recognizing that the relationship between formal education and legislative effectiveness remains empirically underdetermined. Rather than advancing a single prescriptive outcome, the article evaluates alternative institutional pathways, including qualification reform, structured legislative training, and expertise-based committee allocation. It therefore proposes a reform framework that includes raising the minimum academic qualification, introducing structured legislative training and competence certification, and aligning committee assignments more closely with members’ expertise. The study contributes to the literature by connecting Islamic jurisprudential principles, Omani constitutional development, and comparative legislative practice in a reform-oriented framework for more capable and credible parliamentary governance.
Keywords
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