Saudi crown prince: constitutional reforms are a matter of time
Saudi Arabia, Politics, 2/1/2003

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has stressed for a group of Saudi intellectuals he had met last week that internal reforms in Saudi Arabia are just a matter of time.

The crown prince who practically runs the affairs of the kingdom, expressed that during a meeting to which was invited Saudi intellectuals to propose their ideas concerning reforms on January 22nd.

One of the participants in the meeting, Matrouk al-Faleh, said that the meeting witnessed a frank and an open dialogue that lasted for two hours and the participants were 104 intellectuals and scholars who signed a document including ideas on making constitutional reforms in the Kingdom.

Al-Faleh added that crown prince Abdullah stressed his interest "over what we had proposed of reform ideas and that the leadership in the Kingdom is thinking of introducing constitutional reforms in the Kingdom."

Al-Faleh added that Crown Prince Abdullah stressed his interest in "what we had debated of reform ideas, and the leadership in the kingdom thinks of making internal reforms and it is just a matter of time for that." He added "we had felt that there is in the crown prince a sense and a response over what we had debated of ideas for reforms."

Abdul Aziz al-Dakhl, who also attended the meeting, said that other meetings will be held with Crown Prince Abdullah and with other Saudi officials with the aim that dialogue is the means to achieve more constitutional, social and economic reforms in the Kingdom.

Al-Faleh said that the main basics included in the documents of the intellectuals included the call to develop the constituent of the ruling system towards a constitutional reform that will be conducive to the foundation of a state of establishments and the need to make a distinction between authorities and to establish a legislative authority ( Shoura council) directly elected by people, having a monitoring authority over other authorities.

He added that the document stressed the need of reforming the judiciary and the independence of the judiciary authority and working for the establishment of the civil society establishments and disseminating the culture of dialogue and tolerance among all people's strata as well as to stress the freedom of expression and opinion, including the freedom of the press and the publication.

The document also calls for guaranteeing public and basic rights of citizens and the need of dealing with the situation of women in society and giving them their due right.

The reformists also called for active participation in developmental issues in compliance with our "Islamic belief."

Al-Faleh said that the aim of the document which he called "the vision" is to open the door for internal dialogue in order to discuss best means for internal reforms so as to withstand challenges the kingdom is facing especially following the incidents of September 11 in the USA.

Earlier this month, Crown Prince Abdullah called on the Arabs to adopt political reforms and expand the participation in what analysts considered a message for making a change internally.

However, there is an appointed Shoura council in Saudi Arabia, formed in 1993. Its authorities are limited to renewing budget projects, submitting recommendations to the Cabinet. Its decisions are not obligatory.

The Saudi Shoura council included 60 members, appointed by King Fahd. It was formed following calls for reforms following the Gulf war in 1991. Members of the council increase to 90 members in 1997 and to 120 in 2001.

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