Qatari voters appeared apathetic ahead of Sunday's municipal elections in the gas-rich Gulf state as it awaits its first-ever partial legislative polls, expected to be held some time this year.

Electoral centres housed in large tents were almost empty, amid calm debates and uninspiring speeches, ahead of elections for the capital's municipal council -- the sole local government in the tiny country.

"Certainly, attendance is very weak in some districts, but excellent in others. Most importantly, these debates are a good exercise and a progressive practice for democracy," said the vice president of the emirate's electoral commission, Sheikh Khaled bin Jabr al-Thani.

Others were less optimistic.

"Enthusiasm is nil among a large number of citizens," said Yussef Mohammad Darwish, editor of Al-Raya newspaper. "Disappointment is a common factor among the candidates and voters because of the absence of confidence in the council's role."

His Al-Raya paper organised two dozen evenings in a gigantic tent where candidates were invited to present their platforms and field questions from potential voters. Most often, people did not turn up.

Darwish said that the highest turnout was around 50 people, who showed up to listen to three female candidates out of a total of 118 hopefuls.

More than 28,000 eligible voters have registered to vote in the wealthy state, which has an indigenous population of 174,000 out of a total of 750,000 inhabitants.

In the 2003 municipal polls, 38 percent of 24,125 registered voters took part. Some 22,000 voters registered for the first-ever ballot held in 1999.

"Voters increase, turnout decreases," said a banner headline in the English daily Qatar Tribune.

"The enthusiasm died down not just among voters but among candidates themselves," it said, adding that loss of trust in members of the Central Municipal Council (CMC) seemed to be the main reason behind voter apathy.

Less than a third of the CMC's recommendations have been addressed by the authorities concerned, said Fahd bin Abderrahman al-Thani, a professor of geopolitics and a lawyer.

"This caused embarrassment to the representatives of 29 constituencies in front of voters," he added.

But in a country anticipating its first partial legislative ballot this year, many Qataris do not hide their hope of having a more representative assembly.

Asked about the date of the legislative polls, Sheikh Khaled said that some "laws which complement the constitution are not ready yet," but stressed that they will take place "in the near future".

In June 2005, Qatar, a close US ally, adopted a constitution for the first time since independence from Britain in 1971, establishing democratic reforms in a country long ruled by an absolute monarchy.

The constitution clears the way for the separation of the executive, legislative and judiciary branches. It provides for legislative power to be vested in a Shura (consultative) Council made up of 45 members, two-thirds of whom would be elected and the rest appointed by the emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.

Current Shura members are all appointed by the ruler.

The Al-Thani family has been dominant in Qatar -- a peninsula bordering Saudi Arabia that is abundant in natural gas and oil -- since the mid-1800s, and until now has retained absolute control over all aspects of government.