Doha, Apr 25: A neon billboard on a busy Doha street reads "let's participate, vote in the constitutional referendum." At a time when West Asian leaders are feeling pressure to reform or face the fate of Iraq's Saddam Hussein, this tiny Gulf state is moving toward a broader role for the Qatar public in how the country is governed. Qatar's democratic experiment is in its early stages, but the process is being closely watched for signs of how the Arabs will fare at democracy building. The country has no political parties, and some question whether its reform-minded emir, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, is doing enough to foster change. Still, a draft constitution being put to voters in a referendum Tuesday promises a democratic leap forward, providing basic rights for citizens and the country's first parliament. "We are on the right path,'' said Sheikha Yussef al-Jufeiry, a high-ranking civil servant in the ministry of education. Al-Jufeiry became the first woman in a Gulf country elected to public office and in early April, she won a seat on Qatar's central municipal council. Established in 1999, the 29-seat municipal council has no legislative power but it has given Qataris a chance to campaign and vote and has played an advisory role in policy making - all in preparation for the elected parliament envisioned in the proposed constitution. Bureau Report