An event taking place in the month of December in Saudi Arabia has attracted far more attention than what some detractors claim it should deserve. It is the third-ever nationwide municipal elections, but the first ever involving female candidates and general voter participation.
With the country’s far-reaching and ignoble reputation on the status of its women prominently carried in most of the world’s press, this particular event has indeed intrigued most Saudi watchers and media moguls who have been busily vetting their correspondents to prepare for the scoops that normally accompany most elections. It is perhaps this and this alone that is the magnet drawing foreign journalists who would normally not spend any ink on paper about the social aspects of the country.
December 12 is the D-Day day when the polls open, fielding candidates from all regions of the country. Jamal Al Sa’adi from the city of Madinah was one of the first women to register as a voter back in August of this year. “The participation of Saudi women in the municipal elections as voters and candidates was a dream for us. The move will enable Saudi women to have a say in the process of decision-making.”
Describing her experience, Jamal said that she was “quite ready for this day. I had prepared all the documents needed to obtain a voter’s card. This is a nice experience to go through. We are just at the beginning of the road. I have not dismissed the possibility of fielding my name for nomination as one of the candidates. I may have such ambitions. I would love to go through this experience till the very end”.
At last count, there were 1,040 female candidates registered as nominees against a male number that was in excess of 6,400 throughout the country. But for all their aspirations, there has been a fair share of criticism directed not only on the voting process, but on the efficacy of the municipal councils. Critics, including some former municipal council members, charged that the existing municipal bodies had failed to play their desired role in accelerating progress of residential districts and solving the problems of citizens. The experience with the two previous councils showed their weakness and non-viability as they did not have necessary powers to carry out their mission effectively. Most councils had failed to make use of the little powers vested in them
A municipal consultant expressed pessimism about municipal bodies. “We have not seen them playing an effective role in society. On the other hand, we see its members like employees under the mayor or municipal chairman. They have so far failed in solving social and economic problems facing citizens. They need powerful candidates capable of addressing problems of citizens and taking their voice to government officials and other decision-makers. In my previous experiences with the council, one-third of the council members do not attend its meetings. I have got an opportunity to attend one of its meetings and found that many members were absent. This shows that members do not value the council’s meetings.”
An official at one of the municipalities considers this whole experience as a waste of time, money and energy and called for disbanding municipal councils. “I have not seen the local bodies making any tangible contribution in the past years. Many people do not know who their council members are. I did not see the participation of council members in social events such as Eid and National Day. They don’t work with members of the district and they don’t have any role in maintaining the cleanliness of public gardens and parks. A council member was supposed to work to realise the hopes and aspirations of people who voted for him. He should have also met with district members to know their problems and requirements, but do they really do that?”
Coupled with such criticism on the performance of past municipal bodies is the rising ire among female candidates against conditions set by this year’s Election Committee. It banned female candidates from talking to male voters, directing them instead to appoint male representatives or use social media to do that. They even banned female candidates from entering men’s sections inside the venues where municipal campaigns were being held. Female candidates are not allowed to post their pictures in public places and those who do so face a fine of 10,000 Saudi riyal (Dh9,793).
Female candidates running in the elections oppose the supreme election committee’s decision to ban their direct contact with voters calling it “discriminatory and unacceptable”. How are they to explain their planned initiatives if elected or answer questions from potential workers if they are shielded by such a pointless ban. One female candidate wondered how equality could be achieved during the election process when female candidates were banned from meeting face-to-face with voters to talk about their election programme. She stressed that inclusion of women in the election process should help in integrating them into society and not isolate them. She is seriously considering withdrawing her candidacy altogether.
It appears to some that a lot of bite has been taken out by the initial bang.
Tariq A. Al Maeena is a Saudi socio-political commentator. He lives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. You can follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@talmaeena
