and Suad Al-Shammary Okaz/Saudi Gazette TAIF — The newly elected municipals councils on Sunday began procedures to elect heads of the councils for the new term. A source from the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs said members of the municipal councils have 15 days to vote for the chairman and vice chairman of their councils. "Voting can be done privately or publicly. Each council may choose the voting method it prefers. The chairmen and vice chairmen will serve a two-year term once voted into office. The election procedure is usually initiated by the head of the municipality in each governorate," said the source. The source also said the people of different governorates of the Kingdom are very hopeful about this year's elections. "The previous members of the councils have not done a great job in meeting the people's demands. The general public are more comfortable with the new members as they felt this year's voting process was more inclusive and organized than previous elections," said the source. In Riyadh, the head of Visually Impaired Charity Organization Mohammad Al-Shuwaiman became the first visually impaired municipal council member. "I was appointed by Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Abdullatif Al-Sheikh to the municipal council of Riyadh to be the voice of people with special needs, whether they were physically or mentally disabled," said Al-Shuwaiman, who has a bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies from Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University. "One of the main issues I aim to tackle during my term as a member of the council is to ensure that all public buildings are disabled friendly as required by the Saudi Architectural Code. I also want to ensure that all recreational centers meet the needs of people with special needs. I also plan to facilitate the process of public sector paperwork for those with special needs," said Al-Shuwaiman. Saudi voters elected half of the members of municipal councils all over the country in nationwide elections on Dec. 12. The minister of municipal and rural affairs later appointed the remaining members.
