Even the most cynical observer did not predict that public interest in the polls would be so low.

Only less than one third of the registered 1.2 million voters in the Kingdom turned out to cast their ballots.

Candidates and their supporters claimed they tried their best to encourage turnout in the polls and had instructed them how to vote properly.

However, now the candidates just show their disappointment, quoting the old proverb that you can take the horse to the water but not make it drink.

It is time that we looked for the specific reasons that made the Saudi public so averse to the elections. Many explanations are being given to explain this strange civic phenomenon.

Some writers argue that the concept of elections is not well-rooted in Saudi culture.

The argument is flawed because elderly, rural and illiterate people were observed queuing up in huge numbers at polling booths across the Kingdom, while the modern youths whose culture is shaped by Facebook and Twitter or other tools of globalization were conspicuous by their absence.

The cultural factor is also redundant because during the first municipal elections a few years ago, people were highly excited and participated in huge numbers.

A frequent question asked by youths is what the past councils did. What they mean is whether members of the first municipal councils achieved anything worth mentioning.

Although their question is pertinent and the answer is evident, I believe that it is unfair to blame members of the first municipal councils who did not have the authority to take or implement key decisions.

The municipal council regulations in its present form do not give any power to the councils except a limited supervisory role.

A member’s powers can be compared to an official who supervises the morning school assemblies without any power to involve or interfere. I have read all the municipal regulations. It is quite natural then people become averse and lose trust in such an institution. A regulation and the tool it creates are closely connected. If one part is blameworthy, the other part is the cause. Some other likely reasons for the lack of interest in the elections include the weak media coverage, tough campaign restrictions and high cost of propaganda tools.

I hope that the situation calls for a total evaluation and steps to make the role of the councils meaningful. It is because civic elections play a key role and their success means a lot.