RIYADH, May 27: Municipal council elections in Saudi Arabia may be delayed by a few months. According to press reports here, they are now planned for February next year.

When the announcement for election for half of the members of the 14 municipal councils was made last October, it was envisaged that these would take place within a year. Not it seems it would take place in about four months later than initially suggested.

According to local newspapers, the list of candidates and polling centers would be ready by October this year. Other reports have since said elections would be held within three years to fill one-third of the Shoura's 120 seats and that half the members of regional councils would be elected within two years.

Earlier, Prince Miteb bin Abdullah in a press interview had expressed his anguish at the lack of preparations for the municipal elections. He told the press that such inaction by the officials responsible for holding the elections would only add to confusion and bewilderment in the society, and people would start doubting the intentions behind the announcement by the Crown Prince about the elections and the overall reforms process.

"The municipal elections in the kingdom's regions are expected to begin in Muharram," Al-Yaum Arabic daily reported, quoting high-level sources in Riyadh. The paper said officials had held meetings during the past few days in order to identify the polling stations. "The sources did not rule out the possibility of holding general elections in the kingdom," the report added.