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Index / Political situation /
   Oman /
Political situation
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Sultans
|
| Ahmad |
1744-1783 |
| Said |
1783-1803 |
| Sultan |
1803-1804 |
| Salim |
1804-1806 |
| Said |
1804-1856 |
| Thuwayni |
1856-1866 |
| Salim |
1866-1868 |
| Azzan |
1868-1871 |
| Turki |
1871-1888 |
| Faisal |
1888-1913 |
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Taimur
|
1913-1932 |
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Said
|
1932-1970 |
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Qaboos
|
1970- |
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Oman has no democracy, all power is in the hands of sultan Qaboos ibn Said. The country has only limited freedom of speech.
The hereditary sultan, which actually took power in a palace coup against his father, has absolute power. Oman has no constitution, yet the sultan rules based on the advice from an appointed cabinet, and a council made up of 59 representatives from different regions of Oman.
Members of both bodies are appointed by the sultan. There is no legislature, nor any political parties. The judicial system is to a large extent based upon the Sharia, and there are one chief court and one court of appeals, both localized to Musqat.
Oman has 3 daily newspapers, where Al-Watan is the largest with a circulation of about 33,000.
35% of government expenditures are used on the military forces. The total military forces are made up of about 35,000 troops.
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