JEDDAH, 21 May 2005 — Noted attorney Salah Al-Hujeilan has reportedly agreed to take up the case of some 20 candidates who lost in the recent Municipal Council elections in Jeddah.

“I have agreed to take up this just case,” Al-Hayat Arabic daily quoted Hujeilan as saying. The candidates wanted to sue election authorities for rejecting their appeal and declaring the “golden list” candidates the winners.

Talaat Attar, coordinator of the 20 candidates, confirmed that Hujeilan would preside over a team of five lawyers that will present the case at the Court of Grievances “to serve the national interest and strengthen the electoral system.”

Ehab Al-Sulaimani, a legal action committee member, said the candidates already presented their complaints against the Election Appeal Committee ruling to Hujailan’s law firm for action.

The defeated accused the committee of partiality and alleged they disregarded evidence. They sought new elections for Jeddah and compensation from the committee for campaign costs and legal fees. The candidates earlier wired Prince Miteb, minister of municipal and rural affairs, seeking his intervention in the matter. They alleged candidates on the golden list swept the elections because of “illegal” endorsements from prominent scholars.

“They have every right to take legal action,” said Dr. Omar Al-Kholi, a member of the appeal committee. He said the committee also would present evidence to prove its claims to authorities.

Jeddah voters elected Bassam Akhdar, Bassem Al-Shareef, Hassan Al-Zahrani, Rabah Al-Dhaheri, Hussein Baakeel, Hussein Al-Bar and Abdul Rahman Yamani from nearly 500 candidates during the last phase of elections held April 21.

The seven survived an attempt by rivals to disqualify them from running after experts ruling on election disputes concluded that they had not violated rules barring the formation of electoral lists.

Candidates backed by religious scholars also came out on top in Riyadh and the main eastern city of Dammam in earlier phases of the polls and in Taif during the third round. But they did not fare as well in Qasim.

In Jeddah, Yamani got the largest number votes — 11,905 votes or 50.66 percent, followed by Baakeel with 10,925 votes or 47.15 percent and Al-Bar 11,481 votes or 44.8 percent. Akhdar got 10,269 votes or 39.61 percent, Shareef 9,463 votes or 38.14 percent, Dhaheri 9,399 votes or 38.81 percent, and Zahrani 8,090 votes or 29.8 percent.