|
‘Golden
List’ Men Sweep Polls
Mahmoud Ahmad & Abdul
Maqsood Mirza, Arab News
JEDDAH,
24 April 2005 — Candidates endorsed by religious
scholars swept the polls in Jeddah, clinching all
seven seats at stake, according to results
released yesterday.
The
“Golden List” candidates’ widely anticipated
win followed similar victories in holy cities of
Makkah and Madinah after voting on Thursday to
elect half the members of municipal councils in a
landmark nationwide ballot. Several western and
northern regions were covered in Thursday’s
final round of elections, which began in the
Riyadh region on Feb. 10.
The
Jeddah winners — Bassam Akhdar, Bassem Al-Shareef,
Hassan Al-Zahrani, Rabah Al-Dhaheri, Hussein
Baakeel, Hussein Al-Bar and Abdul Rahman Yamani
— ran separately in each of the city’s seven
constituencies but were backed as a group by
influential scholars, including Sheikh Safar Al-Hawali.
The
seven survived an attempt by rivals to disqualify
them from running after experts ruling on election
disputes concluded that they had not violated
rules barring the formation of electoral lists.
Losing candidates now have a week to challenge the
results.
|
Candidates
backed by religious scholars also came out on top
in the capital Riyadh and the main eastern city of
Dammam in earlier phases of the polls and in Taif
in the third round. But they did not do as well in
Qasim, a region some 320 kilometers north of
Riyadh. They managed to win just two of the six
seats up for grabs in the regional capital
Buraidah and two out of five in nearby Unaizah,
with businessmen and civil servants winning the
remaining mandates. Candidates backed by scholars
also took three of the six available seats in the
northwestern city of Tabuk.
Their
wins have been at least partly attributed to good
organization. The winners can be considered
“moderate Islamists or technocrats with Islamist
leanings,” said lawyer Abdul Aziz Al-Kassem.
“There is no doubt that those who won had
organizational skills, most of them having studied
in the West,” he said.
|
A
Saudi businessman
put the reason
succinctly.
“One of
the main reasons for
the victories of
these scholar-backed
candidates is that they
are
organized. They
have been preparing
for this vote
for a long
time. This is a lesson
for all the
candidates,
and if they want to
make an impact in
the next council
elections, then they
have to be
organized
like these candidates
and get people to
pitch
in for them.” |
A
Saudi businessman put the reason succinctly.
“One of the main reasons for the victories of
these scholar-backed candidates is that they are
organized. They have been preparing for this vote
for a long time. This is a lesson for all the
candidates, and if they want to make an impact in
the next council elections, then they have to be
organized like these candidates and get people to
pitch in for them.”
 A
total of 244 seats were up for grabs in
Thursday’s third round which completed the
election of half the members of 178 municipal
councils across the country. The remaining members
will be appointed by the government.
In
Jeddah, Yamani won the highest number of 11,905
votes or 50.66 percent, followed by Baakeel 10,925
votes or 47.15 percent and Al-Bar 11,481 votes or
44.8 percent. Akhdar got 10,269 votes or 39.61
percent, Shareef 9,463 votes or 38.14 percent,
Dhaheri 9,399 votes or 38.81 percent, and Zahrani
8,090 votes or 29.8 percent.
In
Rabigh, the winners were: Abdul Khaleq Daifullah
Al-Humaidi and Ahmad Muhammad Al-Biladi. In
Khulais, Rajaullah Sultan Al-Silmi and Hassan
Shaker Al-Sahafi were declared winners. Saker
Dakhelullah Al-Silmi and Hassan Hussein Al-Silmi
were the winners in Kamil. In Laith, Hassan
Muhammad Al-Barakati and Abdullah Khamis Al-Jahdali
won the election.
According
to Osama Abalkhail, president of the election
committee, more than 52,000 voters cast their
votes in Jeddah. He put the percentage of voters
at between 55 and 60.
The
winners were very happy over the results. “I
thank God on winning the election,” Yamani said,
adding that he had spent SR150,000 on campaigning.
“It was a huge success. I did not expect my name
would appear on what is called the ‘golden
list’. I have good connections with the Jeddah
chamber and the university. I established a
website so that people could get an overview of my
programs and goals,” he told Arab News.
|
Shareef
was also happy over the trust given to him by the
public. “I am sure if we perform well in the
municipality, the government would give us more
than 50 percent of seats,” he added.
“I
am very grateful to everyone who voted for me,”
said Al-Bar. He said he would sit down with the
candidates who lost to him and would discuss with
them the ideas and viewpoints on the problems
facing the district. “I will also open up
channels of communication with residents of the
district,” he added.
Al-Bar
rejected the description of Islamists saying it
would create division in society. “We are all
Islamists in the sense we are part of the Muslim
society ruled by an Islamic government. If the
word means I am a Muslim, it’s a thing I am
proud of. But if you call some people in our
Muslim society Islamists and others not, then it
would create division,” he explained.
|
“No one is a loser
today, the
whole
country has won
and we have taken
the first
step
toward reform,”
he added.
“Everyone who
came forward as
candidates was
brave and a
winner,”
he said, adding that
he would meet with
other candidates
to get enriched by
their ideas. |
Akhdar
said the election was a great victory for the
Saudi people. “No one is a loser today, the
whole country has won and we have taken the first
step toward reform,” he added. “Everyone who
came forward as candidates was brave and a
winner,” he said, adding that he would meet with
other candidates to get enriched by their ideas.
Walid
Battarjee, who contested elections in the second
constituency and lost, said he was not surprised
by the result.
“There
should have been 21 candidates, seven to be
elected by voters, seven to be endorsed by
scholars and seven to be appointed by the
government,” he told Arab News. He said he would
not contest the elections again. He said the 10
scholars who supported the golden list of
candidates had violated election regulations.
“We
all contested the election as individuals while
the seven contested as one party,” he pointed
out.
Osama
Jamjoom, another loser, said he would not lodge
any complaint against the seven winners.
“We
respect the decision of voters. I wish the winners
every success,” he said and urged them to
fulfill the trust reposed in them by the public.
In
Makkah, the winners were: Faisal Muhammad Al-Sharif
(2,516 votes), Aabid Sulaiman Al-Husaini (3,536
votes), Abdullah Al-Rashid (3,699 votes), Adnan
Muhammad Shafi (2,490 votes), Ahmad Sulaiman Al-Maurae
(3,255 votes), Mussa Muhammad Nahari (4,139
votes), and Zuwaid Tami Al-Silmi (3,029 votes).
In
Buraidah, regional capital of Qasim, Saleh Abdul
Aziz Al-Tuwaijri (5,172 votes), Abdul Rahman
Muhammad Al-Farraj (4,874 votes), Abdul Aziz Saleh
AL-Shawi (4,821 votes), Hamad Saleh Al-Sulaiman
(4,078 votes), Khaled Naser Al-Ghulaiga (3,735
votes), Ibrahim Saleh Al-Rabdi (2,581 votes) were
declared winners.
In
Unaizah the winners were: Saleh Al-Sareekh, Saleh
Ibrahim Al-Nahabi, Sami Al-Ghurair, Abdullah Al-Manie
and Musaied Al-Mutairi.
In
Al-Rass, the winners were: Ibrahim Al-Muzaini,
Homoud Al-Harbi, Saleh Al-Khamis and Abdullah
Al-Ruthie.
In
Al-Mudnib, Ibrahim Al-Nugaithan, Hamad Al-Ogaili,
Huwaiel Al-Mutairi and Majed Al-Humaidani were the
winners while in Bukairiya Muhammad Abdullah Al-Dakheek
(546 votes), Ahmad Abdullah Al-Rajhi, Saleh Saleh
and Sultan Al-Huwaifi were declared winners.
Al-Badaie
Municipality: Saleh Abdullah Al-Ammar (519 votes),
Muhammad Sukair Al-Oraini (440 votes), Yousif
Abdullah Al-Oraini (398 votes).
Reyad
Al-Khubra Municipality: Saleh Ateeq Al-Harbi (374
votes), Ibraheem Muhammad Al-Hammad (340 votes),
Saud Faraj Al-Harbi (277 votes).
Al-Asyah
Municipality: Saud Nahar Al-Mutairi (424 votes),
Saleh Rashid Al-Fuhaid (239), Naser Saleh Al-Fuhaid
(228).
Oyoon
Al-Jawa Municipality: Ibrahim Saleh Al-Dusaimani
(373 votes), Saleh Sulaiman Al-Radi (290 votes)
and Ibrahim Abdullah Al-Amro (254 votes).
Al-Nabhaneya
Municipality: Sayer Tulaihan Al-Rashidi (645
votes), Naja Muhammad Al-Turaisi (523 votes) and
Muhammad Faleh Al-Rashidi (371 votes).
Al-Shumasiya
Municipality: Saleh Muhammad Al-Matroodi (379
votes), Abdullah Muhammad Al-Rashid (290 votes)
and Yahya Hamad Al-Yahya (231 votes).
Duraya
Municipality: Ali Naif Al-Katheri (364 votes),
Naif Abdullah Al-Manie (306 votes), Obaied Al-Oufi
Al-Harbi (233 votes).
Uklat
Al-Sogoor Municipality: Fehan Naga Al-Shutairi
(364 votes), Mnor Nama Al-Harbi (223 votes), Musa
Tasi Al-Harbi (179 votes).
Al-Sahabeen
and Al-Khabra Municipality: Sulaiman Abdullah Al-Qurashi
(233 votes), Ibraheem Musa Al-Tasan (199 votes),
Muhammad Abdullah Al-Otaifi (194 votes).
Dukna
Municipality: Bayed Ayyied Al-Harbi (396 votes),
Muteb Salem Al-Harbi (394 votes), Bnaider Shaman
Al-Harbi (313 votes).
Al-Basr
Municipality: Ali Abdullah Al-Muhaimeed (259
votes), Abdulrahman Saleh Al-Muhaimeed (171
votes), Ali Muhammad Al-Muhaimeed (160 votes).
Quba
Municipality: Naif Abdul Kareem Al-Harbi (251
votes), Saleh Abdullah Al-Harbi (216 votes).
Al-Kuwara
Municipality: Muhammad Naser Al-Harbi (145 votes),
Saud Muhammad Al-Harbi (135 votes).
Other
municipalities in the Makkah region were: Adhem:
winner is Dhaen Ahmad Al-Mafdali (275 votes,
20.45%). In second place came Ateya Hassan Al-Malki
(270 votes, 20.07%).
Al-Qunfuda
Municipality: Muhammad Saleh Al-Zabedi (822,
24.62%. In second place came Abaied Ibraheem Al-Zabedi
(701 votes, 20.99%).
Al-Gouz
Municipality: Winner is Meshal Abdul Aziz Al-Falahi
(720 votes, 21,02%). In second place came Ali
Muhammad Al-Faqeeh (701 votes, 20,47%).
Thuraiban
Municipality: Daifullah Ahmad Al-Garni (858 votes
24.10%). Ali Salim Al-Amri (555 votes, 15.59%).
—
With input from Hassan Adawi and Samir Al-Saadi
Reprinted
with permission of Arab News
|
