RIYADH, July 13: Women would not be allowed to contest or vote in the upcoming elections to half of the seats in the municipal bodies of the 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia , the daily Watan said citing an executive ordinance for the elections to be promulgated soon.

According to the paper the elections will be held in February 2005 and rules will be announced in a few days. Men aged 26 and above will be allowed to contest in the elections and only males above 21 years of age would be eligible to vote, the \ paper said.

Women and military personnel are barred from voting and contesting, the report clarified. Elections for 50 per cent of the seats in each of the 178 municipal councils would be held, Prince Miteb Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, had announced on Saturday.

Voters and nominees should be residents of the municipal council where they would vote or contest, according to the executive ordinance. Al-Watan quoted informed sources as saying that the proposed date for voter registration and nomination of candidates would be after mid-September and date for the elections after the Haj season.