RIYADH: There has been a poor turnout of citizens who have registered in Riyadh for the upcoming municipal council elections, at the end of the second week of voter registration. In the Sixth District in Al-Ma'athar there were 210 registrations and 283 in the Fifth District in Al-Malaz. Dr. Khaleel Ibrahim, a member of the Shoura Council, said he was disappointed at the figures for Riyadh published in the media. “A citizen is wasting his right to participate in decision-making by not registering his name as a voter,” he said. He said that the councils did not perform well over the last six years because there were not clear working relationships with municipalities and mayoralties. This has resulted in citizens not bothering to register for these elections. “We need to develop this experience in our society. We cannot judge the municipal council experience based on one period. This can only be done after years of participation.” “We would like the councils to monitor the performance of municipalities and implementation of their development plans in all regions,” he added. He called on the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs to increase its awareness campaigns and communicate with citizens to boost the election process. He warned that non-participation could see unqualified people elected who would not do anything for citizens. Dr. Tariq Fad'aq, another Shoura Council member, said he was surprised that people are not registering and participating in the decision-making process in the country. Participating in municipal decisions is aimed at serving the nation's cities and governorates. He also argued that poor voter turnout could see unqualified people elected.
