DAMMAM, 14 December 2004 — Registration of voters for the upcoming municipal elections in the Eastern Province will start today, the Saudi Press Agency reported yesterday. The process will continue until Jan. 12.
The general election committee has set up 33 polling stations in Dammam, Alkhobar and Dhahran, and 19 stations in Qateef, six in Hafr Al-Baten, three in Jubail, two each in Al-Khafji and Abqaiq and one in Ras Tanura, Naeeriya, Rafeea, Al-Olaya, Malaija, Sarar, Lahaba and Saeera.
The nationwide elections are to be held in three phases from Feb. 10 to pick half the members of 176 municipal councils. There will be 14 municipal councils in the Eastern Province with the number of their members ranging between six and 14.
Voter registrations in the southern Asir, Baha, Najran and Jizan regions will also start today. Authorities have set up 48 registration centers in the Asir region, 16 in Baha, 32 in Jizan and 12 in Najran. Saudis in the Eastern Province and the four southern regions will go to polls on March 3.
The first phase of elections will be held in the Riyadh region where voter registration started last month. Prince Miteb, minister of municipal and rural affairs, said the election process was going ahead smoothly as planned. The minister commended the efforts being made by election committees in various parts of the Kingdom to make the historic voting a success.
