In late-2023 Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Qatars ruler made a quick-decision to hold nation-wide referendum about the countrys partial democracy system
The vote (which aimed to end limited elections for Shura Council seats) got very little attention due to its timing: it happened during US presidential election season and middle-east conflicts. Even Al-Jazeera the Qatar-funded news network gave minimal air-time to this local event
The governmentʼs approach to organizing this vote was quite rushed — while Sheikh Tamim announced the referendum a month before it happened citizens got just a few days notice about the actual voting date. This fast-tracked process meant people had to make quick decisions about their countrys democratic future: the vote would decide if Qatar keeps its limited-but-existing legislative election system