Many people outside the Kingdom who have heard about the Saudi Journalists’ Association may think ours is a society of civil institutions. For weeks now the local media has been bombarding us with news and views, using such exotic words as election, nomination and voting to refer to the association’s forthcoming election — its first — for board members.
I must first thank all those who may have formed a good opinion of us. My thanks also go to our press, which has written extensively on the matter. Yet I see no chance for such an exercise where the possibilities of failure far outweigh those of success. My reason for saying this is that the very idea of electing someone to a public post remains for us to understand fully.
The candidates seem to have no clear vision to present to the voters. Even if they do have such a vision, it may not be very convincing. Likewise the electors lack the kind of understanding that makes them interact properly with the election process.
We shouldn’t feel ashamed to say we have a great deal to learn about how civil organizations function. An illiterate person does not acquire an education in a single day. One may well ask who the party responsible for educating us on issues such as the Shoura and democracy is. Is it the state or is it certain self-appointed individuals who see themselves as the ones to teach us?
I browsed through a number of newspaper articles hoping to find someone who would explain to me many of those exotic expressions, but to no avail. I must say I now fear the whole affair may not be more than a staged show.
When newspaper editors and other leading media figures have not decided on contesting an election which requires they resign their posts, what about ordinary citizens who are supposed to contest municipality elections?
I even conducted a poll asking students, teachers and government employees their views on municipal elections. The overwhelming majority knew nothing of even the basic rules governing nomination, candidacy and ballot boxes. When the minister of water and electricity sought public opinion about new methods for paying electricity bills, all he got from the entire country was five replies.
The majority of the people in this country look at elections and voting as a luxury that has nothing to do with their immediate concerns. And those immediate concerns are trying to make a living and trying to make ends meet.
