DHULM: A number of illiterate and uneducated citizens who tried to stand as candidates in the upcoming municipal council polls have been barred from doing so by vigilant election officials. This comes just as the second phase of voter registration has been completed in preparation for the September polls. One of the directors of a registration center in Taif, who spoke to Okaz/Saudi Gazette on condition of anonymity, said he had excluded a candidate because he could not fill in the candidacy form. It was later discovered he was illiterate. It also appears that some candidates had tried to contest areas where they do not reside, which is a breach of the election legislation. Candidates have between June 25 and 27 to register objections to the list of candidates. To stand in the elections, candidates must be Saudis by birth. Naturalized citizens can contest the polls if they have lived for 10 years in the country after receiving citizenship. Added to this, they must also be permanent residents of their constituencies, have a clean criminal record, including not having been dismissed from a public job for disciplinary reasons. Employees of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs are barred from running, including regional governors, heads of centers, tribal chiefs and district chiefs. Abdul Rahman Al-Dahmash, Chairman of the General Committee for Municipal Elections, said the candidates are not allowed to engage in any publicity unless approved by the committee. When the preliminary list of candidates is announced on June 23, the law allows for campaign license applications. Candidates will have the choice to use the media or organize meetings and lectures. The permit will be issued one week after the announcement of the final list of candidates. He said candidates are not allowed to form alliances to attract voters or run campaigns based on tribal affiliation. This would result in disqualification.
