Unfortunately, the response to voter registration in Jeddah was pathetic. According to available figures, only 32 percent of eligible voters bothered to register. Only on the last day was there a rush and there were even reports of some unruly scenes at registration centers as the deadline drew near. What does so low a turnout say about us?
Well, for a start, we don’t care, are not serious, lack initiative and give in to inertia. It is hardly news that we are not active people, preferring to wait and see rather than to act. We in Jeddah who had observed the process of voter registration in both Riyadh and the Eastern Province should have learned from our observations and gained some insight. Register first. A month was given to do so. Even those who had always intended to register, left it until the last two or three days. Why not do it early and get it over with? We never do.
And of course there were large numbers who asked why anyone should bother with anything to do with registration and elections. According to them, nothing will ever change — but of course it already has. All kinds of lame and inane excuses were offered for not doing one’s civic duty. The nabobs of negativism were all over the place. Here was a chance to exercise your right as a citizen. Here was an opportunity to do something, to participate, to be empowered — but too many missed out on the whole thing, including the very idea itself.
Visiting some relatives over the weekend, I was pleased to hear one say that after the elections if we hear one of the nabobs complaining about poor municipal and social services, we should ask them whether they took part in the elections and even to produce their voter identity card. If they cannot, we should politely ask them to hold their tongues.
I have said it before and will say it again. This is our country and we love it. Yes, there are many things that need to be changed but that is true in any country, anywhere in the world. There are things here that need to be viewed from a different perspective and there are certainly, as we all know, many issues and problems that need to be carefully examined and then satisfactorily solved.
How can we go about doing these things?
Not by sitting in gahwas (coffee shops), smoking sheeshas or playing cards. No, we can start the process by identifying the problems that are of immediate concern to our neighbors, our neighborhood, our city and us. And the elections will help us to do that.
I am too realistic to believe that elections will solve all our problems. They are not a panacea anywhere in the world and to tell the truth, they sometimes increase problems rather than decreasing them. But that’s not the point; the point is that an election gives voters a chance for their voices to be heard. And the sincere, well-meant voice will be heard.
The flaws that are in this present electoral process will, I am sure, be eliminated in the next elections. Personally I felt that the media did not play the active and vital role it should have. There should have been explanations, more discussions and more pointing out what elections can achieve. Some may disagree with me but if the imams in the Friday sermons had added a few remarks about the importance of elections, I feel sure the number of registered voters would have been higher.
This is the first election experience encompassing the entire country. Thus, we have to utilize it, learn from it and improve upon it in order to be ready for the next scheduled one in 2009. At that time, we hope that women will take part as both candidates and voters. In a survey whose results were revealed last week, some 87 percent of Saudis questioned favored women’s participation in the elections. With indications like this, how can the nabobs of negativism maintain an attitude so complacent and pessimistic?
In another change for Jeddah, the city has a new mayor in Adel Faqeeh. He has not only a tremendous challenge facing him but a mountainous workload as well. In addition to cooperation from the existing bureaucracy, he will also need advice and input from the elected individuals. They will strengthen his hand immeasurably in solving the many problems that Jeddah and its citizens must grapple with. Only by brainstorming and coming up with new and, in some cases, innovative ideas can the problems be solved.
We should all participate in finding these sought-for solutions and the easiest way to do so is to take part in elections. Vote for candidates whose views and opinions you share and support. By refusing to vote, we deny ourselves the right of participating in running our city and our country. We fall into the category sometimes known as the “living dead”.
They participate in nothing and complain about everything.
In the world, it is said that there are two kinds of people. The first are people who, whether alive or dead, make no difference to anything. The second are people who, when they die as we all must, are missed, regretted and remembered for having enriched life. Let us all strive to belong to the second group.
