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December 10, 2004 |
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PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL: THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA ARE AN IMPORTANT PHASE IN THE GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS REFORM. PRINCE KHALID IBN SULTAN: THE ELECTIONS ARE PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs has issued decisions on forming the local supervisory committees of municipal council elections in the Eastern region; Baha, Assir, Najran and Jazan regions and Al-Ahsa Governorate. Among other things, the committees will supervise the implementation of rules, regulations and instructions organizing the electoral process; supervise candidates' electoral campaigns; and receive the results of final polls from the specializing committees and submit them to the Election General Committee with which they will be connected. The committees will hold at least one periodical meeting per week or an urgent meeting if necessary upon the Committees' chairman. Prince Miteb, minister of municipal and rural affairs, announced the names of supervisors for municipal elections in various regions. The election committee in the Makkah region, chaired by Makkah Mayor Dr. Khaled Nahhas, includes Jamal Hariri, Abdullah Al-Howaimel, Tarek Abdul Rahman Faqeeh and Col. Saeed Al-Ghamdi. Mayor Abdullah Al-Muallami is the chairman of the Jeddah committee which includes Osama Aba Al-Khail, Adnan Marzouki, Ahmed Banaja, Hashem Kaushek and Col. Maatouk Al-Zahrani. Mayor Abdul Aziz Al-Hosayn will chair the Madinah committee, Abdul Aziz Al-Ammar, municipal chairman, will head the committee in Hail, Muhammad Al-Nasser in Al-Jouf, Ali Al-Mahasheer in the Northern Border Region, and Dr. Ali Al-Osaifeer in Tabuk, the Saudi Press Agency reported. On the other hand Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, said the municipal elections in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represent an important phase in the gradual development towards reform that serves the nation and nationals. In remarks following registering his name as a voter in the municipal elections in the Kingdom at a ballot center in Riyadh, Prince Saud said the instructions of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, have focused on the importance of supporting these elections which achieve the expansion of participation of citizens in their day-to-day life affairs and also achieve their aspirations, noting that this is a conclusive evidence that the government is following the path of reforms. He said this endeavor needs the cooperation of the efforts of the state and citizens to score its goals. Then Prince Saud was briefed on the preparedness of the elections committee to make the registration of voters, the first phase of the elections, a success. On the other hand Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General accompanied by Prince Abdullah Ibn Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz visited the polling station 60 at Al Muazar. He was received by Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Mohammed Ibn Ayaf Al Miqren the Secretary General of Riyadh city. Prince Khalid registered his name as voter in Riyadh. Prince Khalid expressed his happiness with the preparations for the elections and said the success of the municipal elections depends on the participation of all citizens in the process. On the registration of military personnel that the issue is under study and could be taken in consideration in the future. He added that these elections are considered a great leap towards the future. Prince Sultan Ibn Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Secretary General of Tourism Higher Authority, registered in Riyadh as a voter for municipal councils' elections. In a statement, he said that the electoral process is running well, calling on citizens to contribute to its success. Prince Sultan Ibn Salman pointed out that the process will open the way for citizens to find means to serve their regions. Saudis took the first step toward voting in the Kingdom's historic municipal elections, which are scheduled to start on Feb. 10, as voter registration opened at 140 polling stations in the Riyadh region. Riyadh municipality has set up 140 polling stations in schools, universities and sports clubs for registration, which continues for a month. Newspapers and state television have carried advertisements for the elections. Posters throughout the capital also urge voters to "participate in decision-making". Tight security was in place at polling stations. First-aid and civil defense vehicles were also present to face any unforeseen situation. Many Saudis resorted to the assistance of district chiefs to prove their IDs. Candidates for Riyadh can register between Dec. 26 and 30. Regulations issued on Aug. 9 by the Municipal and Rural Affairs Ministry said that all citizens over the age of 21, except military personnel, would be able to vote in the polls. Voting in the second round, which covers the eastern and southwestern regions, will take place on March 3. Saudis in the western regions of Makkah and Madinah, as well as northern regions, will not be casting their vote before April 21. Dr Abdul Aziz Ibn Mohammed Eyaf Al-Miqren, the Mayor of Riyadh and Head of the Committee of the Municipal Elections in Riyadh region, said the required arrangements have been completed for conducting the municipal elections. Addressing a press conference, he said the registration of the electors will begin on Tuesday, and the registration centers will work from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm. (from Saturday to Wednesday) and from 10:00 am to 2:00 noon on Thursday. Dr Al-Miqren pointed out that the registration period will extend for a period of one month. On the other hand, Dr Al-Miqren said all electoral centers will be open on Sunday and Monday (Nov 21-22) between Maghreb (sunset) and Esha (night) prayers for the reception of citizens and answering their inquiries. Dr Al-Miqren said coordination exists with the security authorities for the protection of the electoral centers. 'The municipal elections is a way for the promotion of the municipal services and for opening new horizons for citizens to participate in the decision-making process', he said. Over the next one month, citizens in Riyadh will register to take part in the landmark municipal elections, which are to be conducted throughout the country in three phases. The first ever Kingdom wide polls will kick off in the Riyadh region on Feb. 10 when half the members of the province's 178 municipal councils will be elected. The government will nominate the remaining half. Local newspapers have started publishing advertisements urging citizens to take part in the unprecedented exercise. "Your vote defines the course of your future" and "Participate in decision-making," read the messages in the advertisements. Billboards and banners with similar messages are put up along the main streets of the capital, home to some three million people. The polling stations started functioning yesterday with officials answering queries from citizens about the voting process. They entertained questions for one hour between Maghreb and Isha prayers. The municipal council in Riyadh will have 14 members with seven of them elected and seven appointed. The term of office will be four years beginning from the day the member takes oath. According to the committee supervising the elections, an agreement has been reached with a private company for the installation of a computerized network, which will store all data related to registration and polling centers. The network will store each citizen's name, his age, his ID number and place of birth. It will also record the ballot center at which he registers to vote. Saudis in the Eastern Province, Asir, Jizan, Najran and Baha regions will go to the polls in the second phase. The third phase will include the regions of Makkah, Madinah, Qasim, Tabuk, Hail, Jouf and the Northern Region. There will be no foreign observers in Saudi Arabia's coming municipal elections, according to Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Muhammad Al-Muqrin, the mayor of Riyadh and head of the local committee supervising the elections in the Riyadh region. This is contrary to what has been published in the Western media. Speaking at a press conference, Al-Muqrin ruled out women's participation, either as voters or candidates in the first elections. He said that the matter of women's participation would be studied in the next elections four years from now. The mayor urged all male Saudi citizens to vote and have their voices heard, saying that it was unacceptable for anyone to assign another citizen to vote for him unless the person is handicapped. Handicapped citizens are the only individuals permitted to have someone else vote on their behalf. The mayor mentioned the difficulties in carrying out the first municipality elections, saying that it is a new experience for the Kingdom and that there are no precedents officials could rely on in preparing the centers or informing the public. He said the decision to choose elementary, intermediate and secondary schools as ballot centers was so that the centers would be in as many areas as possible. He added that only the best prepared schools were chosen as ballot centers. He said that all ballot centers in the capital and in the Riyadh region had opened their doors from yesterday between Maghrib and Isha prayers in order to answer any questions from citizens regarding election procedures and processes. There are 140 ballot centers in the Riyadh region with 73 in the city itself and the remainder outside. The mayor explained that Saudi citizens are working in the ballot centers and that if a citizen's papers were in order, the registration process would not take more than 10 minutes. According to the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the Municipal council of Riyadh will have 14 members with seven of them elected and seven appointed. The period of service will be four years, beginning from the day the member takes office. In order to answer questions and inquiries about the election, there is a toll free number 940 available to the public. Riyadh mayor's office began distributing brochures to citizens all over the city; the brochures provided information on the elections and answers to commonly asked questions. Included among the information are the following conditions to be fulfilled by a Saudi wishing to nominate himself as a candidate for office: That he is a Saudi by blood or birth, or has held Saudi citizenship for not less than 10 years, That he is over the age of 25 years , That he is a permanent resident within the boundaries of the municipality, That he has not been convicted of any illegal act or felony and that if he has been in jail, it must have been more than 5 years ago, That he has not been fired from public service for improper behavior unless it was at least five years ago, That he is familiar with the province and its people and is literate, That he has never filed for bankruptcy. Male Saudi citizens in the capital began registration on Monday, Nov. 22 to vote in the municipal elections. According to the committee supervising the elections, an agreement has been reached with a private company for the installation of a computerized network, which will store all data related to registration and ballot centers. The network will store the citizen's name, his age, his ID number and place of birth. It will also record the ballot center at which he registers to vote. According to a spokesman, the network will not allow any citizen to register more than once even if he attempts to do so at another location in the Kingdom. Those registering will be asked to show property deeds, or rental agreements with their landlords, or water and electricity bills to provide proof of residency in the area. If none of the above are available, the testimony of two witnesses will be accepted. According to the election regulations made public by the Ministry of Municipalities and Rural Affairs, every male citizen has the right to vote, provided that he is above 21 and that he is not in the military. The committee said that if a citizen has residences in different areas of the Kingdom he will have to choose one and register at a ballot center in that region. Those citizens who wish to nominate themselves as candidates will have to register first as Saudi nationals in a ballot center and then register their names for offices on specified dates. The Riyadh region will be the first in the Kingdom to begin voter registration at ballot centers; the registration will continue for a month. Registration in Riyadh will be followed by registrations beginning on Dec. 13 in the Eastern Province, Asir, Jizan, Najran and Baha. The third phase will include the regions of Makkah, Madinah, Qassim, Tabuk, Hail, Jouf and Northern areas. All ballot centers in the capital will open their doors tomorrow from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for citizens. Below is the schedule for the voting process in Riyadh: Voter registration: From Nov. 22 to Dec. 22 (corresponding to Shawwal 10, 1425 to Dul Qaada 10, 1425). Publication of list of voters names: On Dec. 25 (Dul Qaada 13, 1425) Registration of candidates: From Dec. 26 to 30 (Dul Qaada 14, 1425 to Dul Qaada 18, 1425) Preliminary list of candidates: On Jan. 2, 2005 (Dul Qaada 21, 1425) Final list of candidates: On Jan. 29, 2005 (Dul Hijja 18, 1425) Candidates' campaigns: From Jan. 29, 2005 to Feb. 9, 2005 (Dul Hijja 18, 1425 to Dul Hijja 29, 1425) Voting: Feb. 10, 2005 (Muharram 1, 1426) The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs for Planning, Deputy Chairman of the Election General Committee and Official Spokesman Eng. Mohammad Al Naqadi said the number of citizens who registered their names in the polling stations in Riyadh region has increased remarkably. In a press conference, he said that since the beginning of the process, the number of those who registered their names reached about 25,000 voters. He added that this asserts the positive response by all citizens to participate in the elections. "We will announce the complete list of voters registered at various polling stations within a few days," he told the press conference. He said some 400 people had registered on the first day. The Kingdom's first-ever nationwide municipal elections will be held in three phases from Feb. 10 to pick half the members of 176 municipal councils. Naqadi highlighted the role of municipal councils in improving the efficiency of municipalities, developing municipal services and proposing useful projects. "The municipal councils will supervise all municipal activities including cleaning, organization and beautification of residential districts," he explained. The spokesman said the number of polling stations would be fixed after the registration process is completed and would be on the basis of the number of voters in various parts of the region. He said the elections would not be supervised by UN observers, adding that UN experts have already endorsed the election bylaw and arrangements. There is good cooperation between the election committees and the Education Ministry and the polls will see the use of schools as polling stations and teachers as election supervisors. He said the councils will have a bylaw, which will specify the remunerations to be received by their members. He urged candidates to strictly follow the period for campaigning as specified by the law. "The campaigns must be conducted individually," he said, adding that candidates are not allowed to buy votes. The ministry has specified the areas where candidates can put posters and pictures. The election committee will have the right to remove any posters or photos installed in violation of the regulations. Candidates can use newspapers and magazines for campaigning and hold meetings with voters. "They can also give lectures and hold seminars during the campaigning period," he added. However, they should get prior permission from the supervising committee for holding such programs. Candidates are allowed to make use of specialized companies to help in their campaigns. "Candidates are not allowed to make any election promises beyond the authority of a municipal council member," he added. Meanwhile United Nation's expert on elections Dr. Ali Al Jarbawi has lauded the progress of the ongoing phase one of Saudi Arabia's first comprehensive municipal elections process. Al Jarbawi made the remarks following an inspection tour of several random electoral colleges in the city of Riyadh where voters are registering themselves for the first round of the elections which will be held in the capital on February 10. Other regions will vote in March and April. Al Jarbawi considered the mechanism of vote registering, the voting devices and technologies used in the elections as among the highest preparations in the world in such occasion. He indicated that the Saudi experiment in this phase of elections has made great strides, expecting the increase of turnout over the coming two weeks of register. It is obvious that turnout is week in some colleges or registering centers and that it is too early to give final assess of this new experience in the Kingdom. The visit comes within the UN's plan to keep close eye on Saudi Arabia's first municipal elections experience and provide the necessary needs, including consultations, information and expertise. Al Jarbawi expected the elections which kicked off last Tuesday to make good progress and yield satisfactory results. He said the one month period for registration is enough for all eligible voters. Prince Mansour Ibn Miteb, the EC chief registered himself at Deerah Polling Center. On the other hand Prince Turki Ibn Nasir Ibn Abdul Aziz, General President of Meteorology and Environment Protection, handed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Prize for Environment management to the winners. The prize handing event was held by the Arab Organization for Administrative Development affiliated to the Arab League at the end of the Third Arab Conference for Environment Management today in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. In a speech on the occasion, Prince Turki, who heads the prize higher committee, highlighted the kingdom's concern for the environment and its efforts to protect it. The winners of the prize included Al Safi Club for Environment Awareness, Saudi Geological Survey Commission, Bahrain's Arab Gulf University and Egyptian Master Company. Meanwhile in Prague Prince Turki Ibn Nassir Ibn Abdul Aziz, the General President of Meteorology and Environment Protection and Chairman of the Executive Bureau of the Arab ministers council in charge of environment affairs said Saudi Arabia attaches great attention to world environment issues. In an inaugural address before the ministerial-level 16th conference for the member states of Montreal Protocol for Ozone Depleting Materials currently taking place in the Czech Republic's capital of Prague, Prince Turki said Saudi authorities have made great strides towards totally curbing some prohibited materials of harm to the Ozone, partially curbing another type of materials and in progress of forging new regulations to stop flooding the market with harmful materials to the Ozone, a natural layer protecting the earth. Saudi customs personnel have been trained to effectively stop this flow, he said. Prince Turki also briefed the conference on the national strategy implemented by the Kingdom to gradually get rid of the dangerous materials and replace them by safe alternatives. Even though eligible to receive international financial support from the authority concerned, Saudi Arabia has self-financed projects worth more than 200 million U.S. dollars to eliminate materials under international control in the petrochemical industries sector, he told the conference. On the other hand the Saudi Ambassador to the Netherlands Ambassador Waleed El-Khereiji delivered the speech of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the ninth conference of countries which ratified the treaty on non-proliferation of chemical weapons, meeting in The Hague, Holland. He said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has given a considerable attention to join this Convention and all treaties which maintain international peace and stability and alleviate the dangers of wars in which internationally prohibited weapons such as nuclear, biological and chemical weapons might be used. Being convinced of the dangers of this devastating weapon and in support for the international community's strive towards the prohibition of the production, use and transfer of chemical weapons, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was among the first states to sign and ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention. Believing in the supreme aims and positive reflections expected from the realization of the Convention, my country, also, effectively participates in all the activities of the Organization. The Ambassador stressed the importance of maintaining the process of peaceful interaction in the Middle East area and to render the area free of weapons of mass destruction, thus the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supports the calls for declaring the Middle East an area free of weapons of mass destruction, and in order to guarantee the success of these efforts the Convention must be applied, indiscriminately, to all the countries in the region including Israel. This will sustain peace and stability in the area of the Middle East. The endeavour towards the possession of weapons of mass destruction, among which are the chemical weapons, undoubtedly, represents a threat to the peace and stability of the international community and decreases the opportunities for peace and augments the logic of power in contrast to the logic of mind in the settlement of disputes. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia believes that the abolition of all programs and tests related to the production of these devastating weapons would maintain the process of peaceful interaction among the states of the region and lead to the best use of its potentialities for the welfare of its peoples, prevent war and create a better and secure future for the area and the whole world the Ambassador added. On the other hand two days of talks in The Hague between the European Union, Arab countries and Israel ended with a note of cautious optimism over the possibility of fresh Middle East peace efforts ahead of Palestinian elections in six weeks. Israelis and Palestinians met for brief talks and discussed Israel's role in the Jan. 9 vote, which will decide who succeeds late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. "There is optimism all around regarding this new drive to get the peace process back in line," Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said Tuesday. "But really this has to take several steps before this can become concrete ... real negotiations have not yet started." Shaath said that, despite positive signals from Israel, the situation on the ground in the Palestinian territories has not improved. Negotiations can only come after Israel quits Palestinian cities and towns, stops building settlements and halts construction of its West Bank separation barrier, Shaath said, adding: "There have to be some measures on the ground." Shaath also urged Israel to open trade routes for Palestinians - without which no amount of aid from Europe or other donors can help repair the shattered economy. "Even if $1 billion of aid per annum is given to the Palestinians, it won't be enough to create a recovery unless Israel opens the arteries and lets Palestinians produce and market their goods in the neighborhood and in the world," he said. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer was cautious about reading too much into Shalom's meeting with Shaath. "We are talking about a Palestinian state, and this means nation building," he said. "We know in the meanwhile how complicated nation-building is." Arab-dominated East Jerusalem is also shaping up as a flashpoint in the election, with Shalom adamant that Israel would not compromise on its sovereignty over the divided holy city. Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot, representing the EU, sat in on a meeting between his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts last Monday. "The first step has been set in the Middle East peace process," he told journalists at a news conference Tuesday. "What is very important now is that we put these ideas into practice." The European Union called on its Mediterranean neighbours to expand and use the Barcelona Process, EU terminology for the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, to enhance stability and prosperity in the region. "Our Barcelona Process is an invaluable asset that we should cherish and expand. I hope this meeting will be another step towards that goal," Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, told his counterparts from the other EU member states and 10 Mediterranean countries. In a statement at a two-day Euro-Mediterranean regional forum here, Bot described the Barcelona Process as "a dynamic process," saying that several steps are needed to make the cooperation more productive. For the first time, there have been substantive discussions within the Barcelona Process over the fight against terrorism, security policy and non-proliferation, Bot said. With the Barcelona Process set to celebrate its tenth anniversary next year, the ministers are meeting to review the process and discuss future directions. They will also discuss measures required for the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area by 2010. In 1995, the EU and its Mediterranean neighbours met in Barcelona, Spain, to launch an initiative to build a new regional partnership. In a bid to boost to the partnership, the EU now allocates over 700 million euros (about 910 million US dollars) annually to support political, economic and cultural developments in Mediterranean countries. The Euro-Mediterranean partnership currently comprises the 25 EU member states and 10 Mediterranean partners including Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. Libya has had observer status since 1999. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana complained that the Euro-Med dialogue had long been held hostage by the Middle East conflict. "That can and must change," he said in a speech to foreign ministers from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. "We, collectively and individually, must help the Palestinian people to succeed in their transition to a new direction. "Everyone will be a winner: There will be more security for the Israelis and Palestinians, and more stability for the whole of our region and beyond." Shalom pledged to help ensure a high turnout and violence-free elections when Palestinians vote for Arafat's successor on Jan. 9. He said the long-stalled peace process may be resuscitated soon, and described the post-Arafat era as "a great time of opportunity and hope for our region." The EU has committed 14 million euros ($18.5 million) for election monitoring, while the 25-nation bloc plans to provide Palestinians with 250 million euros in humanitarian and other aid next year, it was announced. Bot meanwhile urged Arabs to deepen modernization and work with Europe on economic development, trade, migration and the fight against terrorism. "We fully recognize that reform should come from the region itself. Nevertheless, Europe cannot stay on the sidelines of this debate. The challenges are simply too important for that to be a possibility," he said. On the wider Euro-Med agenda, the foreign ministers said in a statement that "substantial progress" has been made toward a region wide free-trade area by 2010. The ministers also stressed the importance of joint cooperation on key issues such as judicial reform and "combating major threats like drugs, terrorism and organized crime." |
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