People expected there could be some genuine reasons behind the delay.

Perhaps, these reasons included the enactment of some changes or amendments in municipal council law or widening the spectrum of the electoral process.

It could mean allowing women to vote and contest elections or any other serious matters that made it essential to postpone the elections for two years.

But nothing of this sort did happen. The camel was in labor but the delivery did not happen at all.

All of a sudden people have lost their enthusiasm for voting. There is no more talk about the forthcoming municipal elections, unlike in the past when the elections were held for the first time.

At that time, there had been public enthusiasm, aspirations and hope for change and an end to several problems such as the state of roads, cleanliness and the movement of residents.

Many people believed that there would be an end to these problems. But nothing happened.

We can take the case of Jeddah. Two flooding disasters happened in the city, claiming hundreds of victims in addition to the destruction of hundreds of houses and other losses.

We have not heard about the role played by the municipal council in the rescue effort or in alleviating the sufferings of victims or in preparing plans to avoid a repeat of such catastrophes in the future.

Now the municipal elections will take place again. But nobody pays any attention to the elections or even does not know their date, not to mention whether they would participate in them or not.

The majority of the people do not care whether there is a municipal council for them or not. Similar is the case with other major cities.

For what they all want is municipal councils that exercise vast powers and whose members are elected by both men and women members of society.