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| Unlike
a politician I can change my mind
without being accused of waffling. So
let me now admit this dramatic change:
When a wise friend asked me, only a few
weeks ago, about the municipal
elections, I wasn't particularly
enthusiastic. Like many, I wasn't sure
what kind of authority the councils
would have and what difference my vote
would make in my life, and how a
half-elected council could be strong and
independent enough to take on the tough
issues of the day and truly represent my
aspirations and positions. |
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She told me then: There
has to be a beginning - a first step - for everything.
Saudi intellectuals have called for elections for a long
time.
Yes, it is not as much as
they hoped for. Yes, it isn't 100 percent democratic for
all members, since half are appointed. And yes, it is not
for the Shoura Council, or even regional councils. But if
this step went smoothly and worked well; if people chose
wisely and their representatives acted as promised; and if
candidates campaigned in a civilized, professional way,
and accepted the results in sporting fashion, then the
government would be encouraged to expand the experiment
further.
 Next
it could be the Regional Council, and in a few years it
could reach the Shoura Council. The percentage of elected
officials would increase as well, my optimistic friend
assured me. Women would get their vote, and people would
have their say in making, implementing and auditing public
policies and funds. Democracy thrives when established on
a strong foundation and steady legs, she told me.
I wasn't convinced then,
but I changed my mind later. Two events moved me to the
other side of the aisle. The first was reading the
now-available bylaws of the council.
It includes preparing and
auditing municipal budgets, deciding project priorities,
suggesting new projects and deciding on sources of income.
This means council members
will be able to improve the bureaucratic system. Budgets
and spending procedures will be more transparent, rational
and effective. Officials will be more accountable.
Projects will be more appropriate and better prioritized.
Most importantly, the people's voices will be heard by the
people's choices.
 The
second event that changed my attitude toward elections is
the success of Riyadh elections. The citizens of Riyadh
chose well and wisely. They ignored the rich and powerful
that thought that pouring millions into advertising
campaigns, parties and speeches would be enough. On
election day, those who won were the ones who knew their
neighborhoods well and worked hard on charities and both
social and community work before the elections were even
on the horizon. All are well educated, smart and have
integrity. They aren't rich, but they have rich records of
public service.
Tribal and family prestige
and connections were not a factor. People chose those who
would better express their hopes and aspirations,
understand their concerns and problems and represent the
average man. Of course, those who didn't like the results
have cried foul. They objected to the fact that most
elected members are conservative Muslims and that they
coordinated with one another - even though the law
prohibits such coordination - and received the blessings
of popular Islamic figures.
 Assuming
the winners did, and were the only ones who did so, what
difference does it make to the final outcome? People
identified with the winners, identified with their
platforms, respected their qualifications, liked their
election promises and trusted the candidates to fulfill
them. This wouldn't change if the elections were to be
rerun - especially in the light of the wide gap between
the winners and losers. All that such an attitude can
achieve is to sully a great experience and give ammunition
to those looking for an excuse to call the step a failure
and halt a forward movement.
Now that objections have
been submitted to the authorized committee, we should all
await and accept their expert judgment. What couldn't be
achieved in this term can be examined and achieved in the
next. And there are many lessons to learn, many
improvements to make and many forward steps to take.
Women, will hopefully, be
taken into account by candidates in other regions. You
can't claim to represent society if you only speak for
half of it. In future elections, we hope women will not
only be eligible to vote but also to run for office and/or
be appointed. We also hope all members will be elected,
and the process includes more councils, regional and
national.
With this hope and
newfound understanding, I'm now not only going to register
to vote, as my wise friend advised, but I will also get
involved in calling on citizens to vote, and campaign for
those who best represent my views, and earned my trust.
Reprinted with permission.
Originally published in Arab
News on February 21, 2005.
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