2011 Saudi Arabian municipal elections
.svg) |
|---|
|
|
| Basic Law |
 Saudi Arabia portal |
Municipal elections in Saudi Arabian towns and cities, initially planned for 31 October 2009,[1] are to be held on 29 September 2011[2] (a week after the initial date of 22 September 2011).[3] Women may not participate in the elections.[1][4] Women are campaigning for the right to participate in the official elections[5] and are planning to create parallel municipal councils.[6]
Background
Municipal elections were originally planned to be held on 31 October 2009 in Saudi Arabia.[1] The elections were not held in 2009. Governmental authorities stated that the delay was caused by the need to "expand the electorate and study the possibility of allowing women to vote."[1] Associated Press described the announcement that an election would be held in 2011 as having "coincided with rumblings of dissent in Saudi Arabia stemming from the wave of political unrest in the Arab world."[1] On 22–23 March 2011, officials of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural affairs announced that the elections would held on 22 September 2011.[3]
Half of the local council seats are to be decided in the election and the other half are appointed.[1][4] The councils have "little power".[1][4]
Electoral process
Voter registration started on 23 April and should continue to 19 May[1][3][4][7][8] or 28 July.[9] Candidate registration will take place from 28 May to 2 June.[3]
The period of electoral campaigning will be decided after candidate registration has closed.[3] The municipal councils will be created in October, following the election, and will have a term of 6 years.[3]
Electoral commission
The Ministry of Municipal and Rural affairs set up an 11-member electoral commission, headed by Abdul-Rahman al-Dahmash[1][4] and an executive committee that it "will facilitate the operations of the special electoral commission, and [will] take all the necessary measures to ensure the success of the municipal elections."[3]
Women's participation
In late March, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural affairs stated that women would not vote in the 2011 elections "because of the kingdom's social customs".[1] King Saud University history lecturer and human rights activist Hatoon al-Fassi involved in campaigning for women's participation in elections stated that women had decided to create their own municipal councils in parallel to the men-only elections.[6] Al-Fassi stated that women creating their own municipal councils or participating in "real elections" were both legal under Saudi law and electoral commission head al-Dahmash agreed with her.[6]
Saudi Arabian women are organising through the "Baladi" (My Country) and Saudi Women's Revolution[10] to campaign for women's participation in the election.[5] From 23–25 April, women in Jeddah,[11] Riyadh and Dammam tried to register as electors. The Gulf News said that "strong public opinion ... supporting women's participation in the election process" followed local newspapers' publication of photos of women waiting in queues to register for the election. Fawzia Al Hani, chair of the "Baladi" Facebook campaign, said that Saudi Arabian law states that women have the right to vote and to stand as candidates.[8] [12]
Saudi King Abdullah said in an annual speech on 25 September 2011 before his advisory assembly, or Shura Council, that Saudi women will be able to run and cast ballots in the 2015 municipal elections.[13]
Results
The elections are planned to cover councils of 219[3] or 285[14] municipalities around Saudi Arabia.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Saudi Arabia to hold elections next month after year and a half delay". Toronto: The Star/AP. 2011-03-22. Archived from the original on 2011-03-22. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ http://www.speroforum.com/a/60670/Saudi-Arabia---Ban-on-Saudi-women-leads-to-election-boycott
- ^ a b c d e f g h al-Suhaimy, Abeed (2011-03-23). "Saudi Arabia announces municipal elections". Asharq al-Awsat. Archived from the original on 2011-04-02. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e "Women remain barred from voting as Saudi Arabia announces elections". The National (Abu Dhabi)/AP/Bloomberg. 2011-03-23. Archived from the original on 2011-03-22. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Abu-Nasr, Donna (2011-03-28). "Saudi Women Inspired by Fall of Mubarak Step Up Equality Demand". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 2011-04-02. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "In aim to start casting their votes Saudi women aim to create their own municipal council". Al Arabiya. 2011-03. Archived from the original on 2011-04-02. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Early reports stated 23 April as the election date.
- ^ a b Shaheen, Abdul Nabi (2011-04-26). "Saudi women defy ban to register for polls". Gulf News. Archived from the original on 2011-04-25. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Alsharif, Asma (2011-04-26). "Saudi elections - Women seek vote". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2011-04-26. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Kareem, Mona (2011-03-18). "The Saudi Women Revolution Statement". Archived from the original on 2011-04-06. Retrieved 2011-04-06.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Voters register for Saudi municipal elections". Al Jazeera English. 2011-04-23. Archived from the original on 2011-04-25. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Wagner, Rob L. (2011-09-09). "Saudi Arabia's Municipal Elections: Tough Lessons Learned from Islamic Conservatives". Eurasia Review. Archived from the original on 2011-04-02. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Saudi king: Women can vote in local elections
- ^ "Women plan to show up at poll centers". Arab News. 2011-04-22. Archived from the original on 2011-04-25. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)
