Second phase of Saudi municipal elections started
Saudi Arabia, Politics, 3/4/2005

Saudi Arabian voters in the governorates situated to the eastern part of the country and to the south headed yesterday for the ballot centers to choose their representatives in the second phase in the municipal elections in the Kingdom.

This phase which came after the Riyadh elections in February, and are attended by voters from the eastern area which overlooks the Arab Gulf and the areas of Jeizan, Najran and al-Baha situated to the south of the country.

The candidates in the elections which were divided to three phases are competing to occupy half of the 1200 seats of the local councils, while the other half will be appointed. The total number of the councils is 178.

Candidates for the eastern area which include the Shiite majority are 800 while number of candidates for the three southern governorates reached 1600 candidates.

The number of voters registered in the eastern area reached 206,000 voters while the number of the southern governorates is 115, 000 voters.

The third phase of the elections, which will be confined to men, will be held in April in the northern western area which includes Mecca and al-Madina al- Munawarra.

Municipal elections which came in the course of reforms in Saudi Arabia have not witnessed remarkable turnout in its first phase, as number of registered voters eligible to voting reached 140,000 of whom 73% took part in the voting.

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