Military

DATE=2/10/05

TITLE=SAUDI / VOTE UPDATE (L-O) (Correction)

NUMBER=2-322469

BYLINE=GREG LAMOTTE

DATELINE=CAIRO

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

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HEADLINE: Historic Elections in Saudi Arabia

INTRO: The first round of elections are being held in Saudi Arabia as voters go to the polls for municipal elections the government says are aimed at beginning a slow process of political reform. As we hear from VOA's Greg LaMotte in Cairo some political observers say the fact that voting of any kind is taking place in the kingdom marks a significant moment in Saudi Arabia's history.

TEXT: Women are being excluded from the first municipal elections in Saudi Arabia and voter turnout among men is reported to be low, but many Saudi citizens have said the elections mark the beginning of democratic reform in the absolute monarchy.

Only voters in Riyadh have gone to the polls, so far. In a three-stage voting process, set up by the Saudi government, Saudis in the eastern and southern provinces will vote next month. In April, voters will cast ballots in northern and western Saudi Arabia.

In Riyadh, where the population is more than four million, only about 150-thousand voters registered to cast ballots.

The senior reporter for the Arab Times in Saudi Arabia, Roger Harrison, says he is not surprised.

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"Elections could be seen as running counter to the Islamic way of doing things because in democracy, as the West understands it, the will of the people is paramount while in the Islamic system the will of God is paramount. So, to actually start an election to where the will of the people becomes paramount could be seen, in some quarters, as acting in parallel with God. Now under Islamic law, of course, that is a crime known as a "shock". And, it is probably the worst crime in the Islamic agenda. So, the elections have to be treated very carefully. And, the fact that they are happening, even in a rudimentary form in the kingdom, is a huge step forward."

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Mr. Harrison says that significant political reform in Saudi Arabia may be decades away because of the traditions, religion, and culture of the society.

The municipal elections are the first stage of a cautious program of reform that was introduced in the kingdom by Crown Prince Abdullah. He has faced growing discontent among political activists in Saudi Arabia, and calls for democratic reform from the West.

Half the members of 178 municipal councils throughout the kingdom will be elected by voters. The other half will be appointed by the government.

About 18-hundred candidates are seeking seats on municipal councils. Some of the candidates reportedly spent millions of dollars campaigning.

The government said women, who make up more than half the population in Saudi Arabia, are not being allowed to vote because there was not enough time to set up separate polling stations for women. In addition, officials said Saudi women do not have official identification cards.

The government has said it may hold provincial elections within four years. Numerous government officials have said if those elections occur, they will recommend that women be allowed to vote. (SIGNED)

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