Municipal elections are likely to be put off for at least two years, informed sources have revealed. A study is being conducted for the purpose, sources said. The objective behind the move is to weigh the pros and cons of the exercise launched in 2005 in three stages. An amendment to the required educational qualifications of candidates is also in the cards, sources said. The amendment makes it obligatory for voters to have appropriate qualification as against being simply literate. However, Dr. Sulaiman Al-Rushoodi, member of the Municipal Council in Riyadh, said he has not yet received any information regarding the postponement of the elections. Earlier, more than 300,000 voters participated in the election of more than 700 members for municipal councils across the Kingdom. Women were barred from participating in these elections. Election officials noted logistical concerns, such as the lack of separate women's voting booths and the fact that many women do not have identification cards. – Okaz __
