2003 Qatari constitutional referendum

A referendum to approve a new constitution was held in Qatar on 29 April 2003. The constitution was overwhelmingly approved, with over 98% in favour. The population of the country was estimated to be around 790,000 at the time of the referendum with only 85,000 registered voters. Voter turnout was 84.3%. With the referendum's approval, it also created a legislative body of which two-thirds would be elected by universal suffrage, and one third appointed by the Emir. According to the new constitution, the legislature will have three powers: to approve the national budget; to monitor the performance of ministers through no-confidence votes; and to draft, discuss, and vote on proposed legislation, which becomes law only with the vote of a two-thirds majority and the Emir's endorsement.