DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Qatari citizens voted for the first time in elections for an advisory council on Saturday — a long-delayed step that aims to give people in the autocratic sheikhdom slightly more say over how they’re ruled. Qatar first introduced plans for the legislative elections in its 2003 constitution, but authorities repeatedly postponed the vote. The country’s electoral law, which distinguishes between born and naturalized Qatari citizens, and bars the latter from electoral participation, has drawn criticism from rights groups. Foreign workers outnumber Qatari citizens in the tiny country of 2.8 million nearly nine to one. The move brings Qatar more in line with the United Arab Emirates, where citizens vote for a limited number of seats in a consultative parliament that advises the government.
