JEDDAH: The poll fever has gripped elderly women too. In some municipal constituencies in Madinah, according to local press, grandmothers and granddaughters are pitted against each other.

Experience, social connections and relations are their main pillars, as a number of female retirees in Madinah enrolled themselves in training courses in preparation for the electoral battle.

Fatin Bundagji, spokeswoman for the Baladi Initiative, said all age categories are preparing to enter the municipal election race. “Some of the women are highly qualified, holding scientific degrees, while some are known for their social activities.”

She said the poor electoral culture is one of the hurdles the women face in their electoral success. “All female voters and candidates should read and be familiar with the regulatory code of the municipal councils,” she said.

Nonetheless, Bundagji criticized the regulatory code because of its difficult terminology that does not clarify the rights and obligations of candidates.

“The ministry should have simplified the terminology for participants so that they could be more interactive with it, and to enable citizens to know their duties and rights in these elections. The fact is that the regulations are purely legal and complex,” she said.

She said one of the most important goals of the initiative is that every person should take the first step and be responsible for the decision he or she takes.

About the election campaigns’ headquarters for women, Bundagji said they can make use of neighborhood centers with the cooperation of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.

Saudi women are now preparing to enter into a new sphere of politics and serving the country by participating in municipal elections for the first time in the history of the Kingdom.

The whole election process, including campaigning by candidates, takes place over three months. Voters can register between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. from Aug. 22 to Sept. 14. Candidates can do so from Aug. 30 to Sept. 17.

Preliminary lists of candidates will be published on Sept. 30 while the last date for withdrawal is Nov. 19, when the final list of candidates will be announced.