Political report of the Executive of the Jewish Agency submitted to the ... Zionist Congress and the ... session of the Council of the Jewish Agency · 1937-08-01 · 8.1937 · p. Seite 11

11 the Jewish delegation was to the effect that in accordance with the statement which he had made on behalf of the Government three years previously at Geneva, the Government had decided that after the new Municipal Councils had been set up and were working satisfactorily, the time had come for the establishment of a Legislative Council, to secure the advice and assistance of the people of the country in carrying on the Government. The Council was to consist of .28 members, of whom 5 were to be officials, 11 nonofficial members nominated by the High Commissioner, and 12 elected representatives. Of the elected members 9 were to be Arabs (8 Moslems and one Christian), and 3 Jews; the group of nominated members was to consist of 5 Arabs (3 Moslems, including one Eedu, and 2 Christians), 4 Jews, 2 representatives of the commercial community of unspecified race and 5 officials. A President, to be appointed from outside Palestine, was to preside over the Council. In the event of an equality of votes a casting vote was to be exercised by the senior official member. The Council was normally to function for a period of five years. Its sessions were to cover three months in the year. If any community would refuse to take part in the election, the High Commissioner would be empowered to nominate either British officials or such other persons as he might think fit, to its seats in the Council. The elec^ tions to the Council were to be direct. No literary or money test was to be imposed, persons 25 years of age being qualified to vote and each community being free to decide as to whether it wished its women to have the franchise. The functions of the Council were to be — "subject to securing the fulfilment of international obligations of His Majesty's Government and the High Commissioner's powers to maintain law. order and good government" — to debate and aniend bills introduced by Government, to introduce bills, except money bills, subject to the consent of the High Commissioner, and to consider and debate the annual budget. Members might also propose any question of public interest for debate, except that no vote for the expenditure of funds or the imposition of taxation might be proposed save by the direction of the High Commissioner. Nor was any resolution to be proposed which, in the opinion of the High Commissioner, was likely to endanger the public peace. Finally, the Council was to have the right to ask questions of the Executive relative to the ad-