Saudi Arabia: partial Shoura council elections within three years
Saudi Arabia, Politics, 10/20/2003

Saudi Arabia is proceeding to a political openness seen through the announcement to organize partial municipal elections by the end of 2004; expected to be followed by partial legislative elections; two years after that.

Saudi reformers were notified about organizing the first partial legislative elections in the Kingdom by the Saudi minister of defense; member of the Saudi royal family and the third ranking person in the government Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz.

One of the signatory figures of a patition, addressed to the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, said recently that "Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz informed me the intention of the Saudi leadership to organize partial elections for regions' councils and the Shoura council; the first during two years and the second within three years."

One moderate Islamists, Sheikh Mohsin al- Awaji, a lawyer, said for his part " the Saudi officials told us that important reform decisions will be announced shortly and the said official said for instance the election of the regions' council and the shoura council;" Al- Awaji gave no mention to the name of the official with whom he had met recently.

On Monday the Saudi government announced it will organize for the first time in the kingdom partial municipal elections according to which municipal officials will be elected. This measure comes in response to increasing calls of the Saudi public opinion in support of political reforms at a time when American circles accused Riyadh of encouraging religious extremism.

Previous Stories:
  Saudi crown attacks extremists   (10/18/2003)
  Riyadh human rights declaration released   (10/16/2003)
  Saudi Arabia's first municipal elections in one year   (10/14/2003)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search