Candidate Debate for Mayor of Riyad...
Swords and Pistols encouraged...
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| Arabia | ||
| Saudi men vote in municipal elections | ||
| 2005-02-10 | ||
| RIYADH - Saudi men vote on Thursday in the country's first ever elections, a municipal vote barred to women that represents a cautious initial step towards reform for the ultra-conservative kingdom. Only around 148,000 men, representing 37 percent of an estimated 400,000 eligible voters in the capital and its surroundings, have registered to cast their ballots, with many Saudi men expressing apathy over the vote. Although the voting regulations made no specific reference to women, who make up more than half of the population, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz ruled out their participation. A reported 140 polling centres in the capital Riyadh and 67 others in its surrounding areas will open between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm (0500 and 1400 GMT) to receive male voters, who will be exercising their right to vote for the first time. Elections are a foreign concept in the absolute monarchy, where public offices have always been filled by Voting in the second round, which covers the eastern and southwestern regions, will take place on March 3. Voters in the western regions of Mecca and Medina, as well as the northern regions, will not be going to the polls until April 21. The ballot is part of a drive to introduce limited reforms, which Riyadh insists must be tailored to Saudi specifications and not necessarily follow a Western pattern. The landmark vote represents a cautious initial step towards reform in the Despite the low voter registration, the election campaign has been a crash course in democracy for Riyadh residents. Posters of aspiring council members were have been splashed across the capital while campaigning centres were set up in every neighbourhood. Local newspapers were festooned with candidates' pictures and their extensive manifestos, while tents have been set up along main roads to receive voters and hold press conferences.
The elections come a week after US President George W. Bush issued a rare rebuke to Saudi Arabia, urging the kingdom to "demonstrate its leadership in the region by expanding the role of its people in determining their future".
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 Candidate Debate for Mayor of Riyad... Swords and Pistols encouraged... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-02-10 4:10:47 PM |