RIYADH, 11 August 2004 — Expatriates would in future be able to represent their grievances before elected members of the municipal councils from their respective constituencies.
This was disclosed by Abdullah M. Al-Subail, director of administrative development at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. He said areas in which expatriates are the predominant section of the population would be merged with other Saudi-majority areas to form a constituency. However, the municipal councilor from that area would be responsible for the welfare of all people residing in that constituency — whether Saudi or non-Saudi.
Asked whether women would be allowed to stand for elections, he did not reply.
As for the conditions of a candidate’s eligibility, Al-Subail said there was nothing specific except that he should be over 21 years of age and be able to read and write. However, if he is disqualified for any reason, he would be informed by the officials concerned. The elections would be supervised by three committees which should not have more than 14 members overall.
The announcement regarding municipal elections has thrown up many questions that remain unanswered. They include the mode of canvassing for voters’ support, the basis on which elections will be fought, the issues that candidates will take up for soliciting electoral support, and whether they will be allowed to address mass meetings — a concept alien to Saudi culture.
Al-Subail said all these questions would be addressed in due course.
According to him, polling will be held in the first phase in the 37 municipalities of Riyadh. The polling centers would be designated and publicized well in advance. It is not clear how many polling stations will be set up, but they will include all major government schools and public halls, besides hundreds of booths in different parts of the capital, which has a population of four million.
In response to a question, Al-Subail said there would be a mix of electronic and manual voting that will take place in three stages from November to early next year. Foolproof arrangements would be made to prevent vote rigging. The ministry has sought the help of UN experts for the conduct of hassle-free elections.
Al-Subail said each elected candidate would serve for a four-year term.
Welcoming the Kingdom’s move to hold the first-ever municipal elections, Meraj Butt, a Pakistani expatriate, said it is a good beginning down the road of economic and political reforms. However, he was not sure whether expatriates would have any political clout with the councilors since they do not have voting right. Such being the case, it is questionable whether the councilors would be able to address their grievances, he said.
