DAMMAM: Sixty-year-old Dr. Solaiman A.M. Solaiman is an unlikely candidate for the Eastern Province chamber board elections. He himself admits that he is not a businessman in the strict sense of the word. He is a physician and, with his wife, runs a popular clinic in Alkhobar.

Solaiman has been part of the Eastern Province social and business scene for a long time, having arrived from Riyadh in 1983. He studied medicine in Austria and did postgraduate work at a German university. In the early years of his career, he worked as a consultant at Riyadh Military Hospital. He originally comes from the Al-Ghat region between Riyadh and Qassim.

Solaiman claims that a majority of the 24,000 members of the Asharqia Chamber who are eligible to vote in next week’s elections are like him: small-time businesspeople. “They are not super-rich. They cannot spend a fortune on electioneering and slick campaigning. They are average businessmen. It is this segment that I intend to represent in these elections,” he said.

Solaiman stood in the elections four years ago but lost. This time again, his chances are not bright. All this, however, has not deterred him from standing again. He is one among 36 candidates who are in the electoral race. “I am in this process for the experience of it and to let people know that they can make a difference through elections and with their votes,” he told Arab News in an interview on Wednesday. “Victory and defeat mean nothing to me. I am not a big fish. I am a small bird and I want to let everybody know that one little bird does have the capacity to create a flutter in a tree. It can at least shake some leaves.”

Excerpts from the interview:

As a physician, what are you doing as a member of the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce?

Well, I am not a businessman, but I run my own clinic and that gives me the opportunity to be a paid member of the chamber. There are hundreds like me. This chamber belongs to everybody. The majority of the 24,000 members run small businesses. My estimate is that more than 20,000 run small businesses. Unfortunately, they have never had a chance to be represented properly in the chamber’s board.

Why?

Because all the chamber’s top posts are held by big shots. Ever since the establishment of the chamber, we small-time businesspeople have never had a chance to have our say. Big businessmen have a huge advantage. They have the money and they buy out everybody. Money rules as always.

Surely elections are an excellent way of getting on the chamber’s board then?

Yes, elections are the best things that have happened to our society. However, those small-time businesspeople are bought out by the big businessmen. They come and tell us to cancel our candidate in return for money. Our government started this process in order to teach people the virtues of election. The idea was — and is — to let people understand the advantage of freedom. The idea is to allow them to make decisions that are in their interest. However, I am sorry to say that our society is not yet ready for the freedom that goes with elections. They fail to understand the responsibility that comes with freedom. The government wants our people to be an active part of the decision-making process. But they are horribly divided between this tribe and that tribe, this fellow and that fellow, this sect and that sect, etc. Elections were meant to end these differences, not to accentuate them.

What about the new electoral rules that are in place this time?

The new rules are excellent. Last time six people could come together and form a group. As a member of the chamber, one could vote for six people at the same time. That led to the forming of cartels. All big businessmen came together and formed their own groups. Money changed hands in a big way. Now, one member can cast just one vote in favor of just one person. One vote for one candidate. This will indicate who is the most popular businessman.

What are you promising to the voters this time?

My programs have not changed. They remain the same as last time. I tell people not to sell their voice. It is an insult. Those who sell their voice are like slaves. I want people to be free and vote according to their conscience. I want young people to be provided with interest-free banking loans so they can launch new projects. I want the chamber to provide training for young people, to give them ideas about new business ventures. I want the chamber to help them identify areas that have the potential for growth. What we see is no direction for young businesspeople. They don’t know who to turn to in times of distress. They launch projects without conducting any feasibility studies. My focus is young people. I want young people not to pay any kind of tax for at least 10 years from the date of launching projects. Once their businesses are stable, let them pay whatever is required of them. Let us not burden them in the initial stages.

Is a lot of money being used during elections?

Yes, millions are being spent on electioneering. When people spend millions, one needs to ask a simple question: Are they spending that huge amount just to serve the people? Come on, give me a break. The money is being spent because they will get enormous returns on it. I have decided not to overspend. Whatever money I have will be spent on the welfare of poor people.

During these elections, candidates are barred from placing advertisements in newspapers and on television. How are you reaching out to your voters then?

The chamber has provided a CD to all eligible candidates. This CD contains fax numbers, e-mail addresses, landline numbers and cell phone numbers of all the 24,000 eligible voters. I have sent faxes to them outlining my program and I have sent text messages reminding them of my candidature.

Since the chances of your victory are not very high, what do you intend to get out of this elections?

I am not keen on winning. I want to show people that we can effect change. As I said earlier, even a little bird can create a commotion in a tree. I want administrative accountability and financial transparency in the way the chamber administers things.