JEDDAH, 27 November 2004 — A United Nations election expert has commended the Saudi government for making elaborate preparations for the upcoming municipal polls in the country. Dr. Ali Al-Jarbawi on Thursday visited polling stations in Riyadh and said the Saudi government has set up world-class facilities for the elections.
“Saudi Arabia has achieved remarkable success in the first phase of its election process,” said Jarbawi, who arrived in the Kingdom in July along with a team of UN experts to monitor preparations for the polls.
Despite all the planning, citizens still need to choose to vote. According to the Arabic daily Al-Madinah, no prospective voters turned up at eight polling stations on Wednesday. It added that most centers were empty until after Isha prayers. Election officials put the total number of people who registered on the first day at about 3,000.
Voter registration in the Riyadh region, where the elections will be held on Feb. 10, started on Tuesday.
Jarbawi said the one-month period allowed by the authorities for voter registration was enough for all eligible voters to sign up. He expressed the hope that more people would turn out in the coming weeks to register.
The UN expert said he hoped the municipal elections would yield satisfactory results. He also commended the Saudi media for its support of public awareness campaigns.
Speaking to media representatives at the polling station in the Prince Salman Social Center, Jarbawi said a low turnout is expected. “It’s quite natural as such wide-scale elections are held in the Kingdom for the first time,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted Jarbawi as saying.
Education Minister Dr. Muhammad Al-Rasheed registered on Thursday at Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Baz Secondary School in Olaya. He urged all citizens to make use of “the opportunity given by the Saudi leadership to take part in the decision-making process.” He also called on all teachers to take part in the elections and work to make the polls a success.
The election committee has set up 140 polling stations at schools, universities and sports clubs for registration, but the turnout has been poor due to lack of awareness.
Newspapers and state television have carried advertisements for the elections. Posters throughout the capital also urge voters to “participate in the decision-making.”
Religious scholars also encouraged the public to register, saying it was their Islamic and civic duty.
Saudi women, who fiercely campaigned for participation in the first-ever elections in the country, will not be allowed to vote this time due to time constraints.
Muthaib Al-Otaibi, who was the first to register at a Malaz polling station, said he would be running for a seat on the municipal council. “I will try my best to create more job opportunities for young Saudis,” he said.
Hamoud Matar Al-Shammary, who plans to contest from east Riyadh, said he hoped to garner a large number of votes. He has appointed a media team for his campaign.
The nationwide vote will be held in three phases to elect half the members of 178 municipal councils. Voting in the second round, which covers the eastern and southwestern regions, will take place on March 3.
Saudis in the western regions of Makkah and Madinah, as well as northern regions, will not be casting votes until April 21.
