JEDDAH: Municipal and Rural Affairs Minister Abdul Lateef Al-Asheikh has directed all the municipal authorities to closely scrutinize the election candidates’ credentials to thwart violation of rules.

This is to ensure that the candidates meet all the requirements under Article 33 and thwart attempts by contractors and investors engaged in municipal works directly or indirectly to run as candidates, local media said, citing a circular in this regard by the minister, on Monday.

According to the circular, the election committee must send the list of the registered candidates at the end of the day to the local committee to complete the scrutiny.

Al-Asheikh emphasized on abiding by the rules and regulations, stressing that any executive director or CEO of a company engaged in a municipal contract is not permitted to run for election.

Despite these exemptions for candidacy in the municipal elections being well known and clearly announced, there are concerns and doubts that investors, contractors and service providers of municipal projects may try to get involved in the election process.

According to Article 27, anyone holding a civic contract for a duration of one year or more for services such as maintenance, operations and delivery is not eligible to enroll as candidate.

Al-Asheikh also called for application of Article 28 of the regulations, which prohibit participation in as candidates by investors and representatives who have rented municipal property for a rent of SR300,000 annually, SR200,000 annually in Class A municipalities, SR100,000 in Class B or C municipalities, or SR100,000 in Class D or E municipalities.

The rules also ban candidacy of a contractor engaged in one or more projects worth SR500,000, SR300,000 in Class A municipalities, SR200,000 in Class B and C municipalities or SR100,000 in Class D and E municipalities.

The general elections committee has approved 1,236 poll centers in 284 municipalities and secretariats across the Kingdom.

For the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia, women will be allowed to participate as candidates and voters and special provision will be made for them in compliance with Islamic law. Local committees, with women making up 20 percent of their members, have been set up in all regions to organize the elections.