Saudi journalists elect a board administration including two women

Saudi Arabian journalists for the first time in their career history in the country elected a 9- member council including two women.

It was announced yesterday the formation of a board commission for the Saudi journalists in an election operation in which 317 journalists took place under the supervision of representatives from the ministry of information and the chamber of commerce.

Among the elected persons are five chief editors of local newspapers and two women out of 34 journalists nominated for the council, but the young journalists withdrew for their bosses at work.

The board of directors was due to have met yesterday or today ( Wednesday) to distribute the posts.

In July 2001, the Saudi government approved for the first time a decision that permits journalists in the Kingdom to establish a commission in charge of defending their interests instead of a decision which has been reinforced since more than 40 years, forbidding journalists from establishing societies or trade unions.

The commission's constituent states to be independent, but one of its articles gives the ministry of information the right to " reject any decision for the general assembly of the commission if it goes in contradiction with the national interest." According to the law, no journalist can be expelled from the membership of the commission without consultation of the authorities concerned with the commission in this regard.

Some 10 dailies are published in Saudi Arabia- two of them are in the English Language - mostly reflecting the views of the official authorities.