JEDDAH, 22 November 2004 — About 5,000 prisoners in the Riyadh region will take part in the upcoming municipal elections as their names will be registered in the voter list, according to Brig. Ali Al-Qahtani, director of prisons in the region.
“The prisons department will not prevent prisoners from voting as long as the election rules and regulations allow them to do so,” Qahtani told Arab News. “Prisoners have the right to vote like any other Saudi,” he added.
Qahtani confirmed that members of the National Human Rights Association had visited jails to study the condition of the prisoners. “Some 13 doctors from the organization made a surprise visit to the prisons,” he pointed out.
He said the NHRA delegation was allowed to visit all departments and met with prisoners with full freedom and without any interference from the department.
Meanwhile, the Municipal and Rural Affairs Ministry has launched a major campaign to enhance public awareness on the country’s first ever nationwide municipal elections, which are to be held in three phases, beginning from Feb. 10.
The ministry has urged Saudis to register their names at the polling centers in order to qualify to vote and elect the municipal council members they want. The election committee in Riyadh has set up posters and banners in various parts of the city.
