Elections in Saudi Arabia
Encyclopedia
Elections in Saudi Arabia
have been historically rare. Municipal elections
were held in 2005 and were planned for 2009. After two years' delay, they are to be held in 2011
. In September 2011, King Abdullah granted women the right to vote and stand in elections, but they will not be able to exercise that right until 2015.
.
In February 2009 it was announced that municipal elections scheduled for 2009 would be postponed indefinitely "for evaluation". Reportedly, they were postponed to consider suffrage for women in the next elections. The elections were eventually scheduled for 2011. All elections are municipal elections, which take place across Saudi Arabia's 178 municipalities.
Saudi Arabia has no legislature. A "Consultative Assembly
" (Majlis ash-Shura) with 90 appointed members with only consultative tasks exists. No political parties
are allowed in Saudi Arabia.
. Amnesty International
described the decision as "a welcome, albeit limited, step along the long road towards gender equality in Saudi Arabia, and a testament to the long struggle of women's rights activists there".
As with many issues related to women's rights, women's suffrage has been a matter of public discussion in Saudi Arabia in recent years, with strongly held views on both sides. It is the last country in the world to retain a gender-specific ban on political suffrage.
Women are allowed to hold positions on boards of chambers of commerce. In 2008, two women were elected to the board of the Jeddah
Chamber of Commerce and Industry. There are no women on the High Court or the Supreme Judicial Council. There is one woman in a cabinet-level position, as deputy minister for women's education.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
have been historically rare. Municipal elections
Local election
Local elections vary widely across jurisdictions. In electoral systems that roughly follow the Westminster model, a terminology has evolved with roles such as Mayor or Warden to describe the executive of a city, town or region, although the actual means of elections vary...
were held in 2005 and were planned for 2009. After two years' delay, they are to be held in 2011
Saudi Arabian municipal elections, 2011
Municipal elections in Saudi Arabian towns and cities, initially planned for 31 October 2009, are to be held on 29 September 2011 . Women may not participate in the elections...
. In September 2011, King Abdullah granted women the right to vote and stand in elections, but they will not be able to exercise that right until 2015.
History of elections in Saudi Arabia
The first municipal elections in Saudi Arabia took place in 1939. Elections for seats in some municipalities were held during the 1960s. Municipal elections for half the councillors, with voting by men only and with male candidates only, took place in 2005Saudi Arabia municipal elections, 2005
Municipal elections for 178 municipalities were held in Saudi Arabia between 10 February and 21 April 2005. The first to be held in the country since the 1960s, the elections were held in three stages: the first on 10 February around the capital city of Riyadh, the second in the east and southwest...
.
In February 2009 it was announced that municipal elections scheduled for 2009 would be postponed indefinitely "for evaluation". Reportedly, they were postponed to consider suffrage for women in the next elections. The elections were eventually scheduled for 2011. All elections are municipal elections, which take place across Saudi Arabia's 178 municipalities.
Saudi Arabia has no legislature. A "Consultative Assembly
Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia
The Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia also known as Majlis as-Shura or Shura Council is the formal advisory body of Saudi Arabia, which is an absolute monarchy. It cannot pass or enforce laws, a power reserved for the King. The Consultative Assembly has limited powers in government, including...
" (Majlis ash-Shura) with 90 appointed members with only consultative tasks exists. No political parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
are allowed in Saudi Arabia.
Women's participation
When Saudi Arabia held municipal elections in the 1960s, women were not allowed to vote or stand for office. No further elections were held until 2005. Despite some expectation that women would be allowed to participate on that occasion, Saudi officials decided that they would not. It was argued that not enough women would be available to staff female polling stations (gender segregation is normal in the country) and that only a small number of women held ID cards, which would be required in order for them to vote. The same rules applied when elections were held in 2011. In September 2011, King Abdullah announced that women would be granted the right to both vote and stand for election from 2012, meaning that they will be entitled to participate in the scheduled 2015 municipal elections. He also stated that women would become eligible to take part in the unelected shuraConsultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia
The Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia also known as Majlis as-Shura or Shura Council is the formal advisory body of Saudi Arabia, which is an absolute monarchy. It cannot pass or enforce laws, a power reserved for the King. The Consultative Assembly has limited powers in government, including...
. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
described the decision as "a welcome, albeit limited, step along the long road towards gender equality in Saudi Arabia, and a testament to the long struggle of women's rights activists there".
As with many issues related to women's rights, women's suffrage has been a matter of public discussion in Saudi Arabia in recent years, with strongly held views on both sides. It is the last country in the world to retain a gender-specific ban on political suffrage.
Women are allowed to hold positions on boards of chambers of commerce. In 2008, two women were elected to the board of the Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
Chamber of Commerce and Industry. There are no women on the High Court or the Supreme Judicial Council. There is one woman in a cabinet-level position, as deputy minister for women's education.