Khalaf Al-Harbi
Okaz
Tribal waves have swept away the results of the recent municipal council elections. It is quite natural for many reasons, most importantly the demographic structure of the constituencies.
In constituencies where the most of the residents were from the same tribe, the winners may not necessarily reflect tribal loyalty of the voters. But in constituencies having a diverse demographic structure, the results have indicated the candidates’ tribal affiliation and influence. Many people decided not run in the elections because of family relations and tribal links to other candidates.
We need not be embarrassed by the poll results because in our social structure tribes play an important role and the majority of the country’s population belongs to various important tribes.
The democratic experiment in our country is still at an early stage and it has to pass through many stages to reach the perfection we are all looking for.
The victory of a group of female candidates was surprising and has drawn global attention. This is significant when we consider the fact that women contested the polls for the first time. These things rarely happen in Arab societies. This shows people’s awareness about women’s important role in pushing development. Considering the strict campaign rules imposed on women candidates, the success of a few female candidates is significant. We hope that women members would not face such obstacles in carrying out their duties in the municipal councils.
We also expect an equal number of appointed women members in the councils to have a harmonious balance between elected and appointed candidates.
After all, we cannot say that the municipal elections have fulfilled the expectations of citizens because this experiment has gone through various frustrations either because of limited powers given to council members or by postponement of the elections that affected its transformation process.
Many citizens have shunned the elections for these reasons.
I believe that the municipal elections would attract more citizens if they are convinced that the councils are given enough powers that would have a positive impact on their lives. The most important factor is that the polls pave the way for greater participation of citizens in the decision-making process and we expect this experiment would soon expand to the Shoura Council as participation of citizens in decision-making is fundamental for the nation’s development.
