11 July 2004	Sunday	22 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

RIYADH, July 10: Arrangements are finally underway to hold the first municipal elections in Saudi Arabia in decades. The elections are now expected to be held later this year.

The Saudi Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Prince Mite'b Bin Abdulaziz, in a statement on Saturday said that committees and working teams have been formed and an agreement has been reached with international consultants and experts so as to finalize the necessary agreements for the elections.

The working teams have also set up the basic regulations and procedures for the election process and are drafting the concerned by-laws and resolutions. He noted that the by-laws of the election will be issued very soon.

In his statement on Saturday, Prince Miteb added that the election centres, the time of registering the electorate, the registration of candidates, the deadline for the nomination and the process of electing members in 178 Municipal Councils will be determined in accordance with a fixed time-table.

This would include all cities and villages in13 regions of the Kingdom. "This will start within few weeks after the summer vacation and the opening of schools," Prince Mite'b said. Schools are to reopen in September, after long summer holidays.

Saudi Arabia announced last October that elections to elect half of the members of the 13 municipal bodies in the Kingdom would be held within a year. However, lack in follow-up on the order had indicated that the elections could be somewhat delayed.

The elections were seen as the first crucial step towards involving the common people in running the day to day affairs of the kingdom. There have also been indications here that the elections to elect at least part of the Saudi Shura members could also be in the offing, as a part of the reforms process.