MUNICIPAL COUNCILS UPDATE: REMAINING HALF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 009303

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA
DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI SHUKAN AND AMBASSADOR OBERWETTER, INL,
DRL, PRM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2015
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM PREL SA
SUBJECT: MUNICIPAL COUNCILS UPDATE: REMAINING HALF
APPOINTED BY SAG

REF: A. JEDDAH 04398

B. JEDDAH 04300

C. RIYADH 04593

D. RIYADH 02912

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael Gfoeller for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: On December 15, the Saudi press announced
that King Abdullah had completed the long delayed process of
forming the country's 178 municipal councils. Half of the
councils' members, totaling 592 officials in all, were chosen
last spring in the Kingdom's first democratic, albeit
limited, elections, from which women in particular were
excluded. On December 14, the Saudi government (SAG)
appointed the remaining half of the council members, who also
number 592, in a decree formally issued by the King and Crown
Prince Sultan. Coming eight months after the initial voting,
the announcement pleasantly surprised local observers. It
renews hope that the political reform process is moving
forward, even if at a cautious pace. It marks another
milestone in a process that began with the 1977 decision to
re-establish municipal councils, a 2003 cabinet decision to
hold elections for half of the council seats, an October 2004
timetable for holding elections, and the successful
completion of the elections in April 2005 (reftels). END
SUMMARY.

2. (C) Saudi citizens with whom the Embassy and Consulates
Jeddah and Dhahran spoke about this development welcomed the
important news, but stressed that only a small step has been
taken along the road to political reform. They emphasized
that the municipal councils are expected to serve only in an
advisory capacity in the technical administration of
municipalities, though the exact responsibilities and
functions of the councils remain to be formally defined.
They questioned when the municipal councils will first meet.
They also emphasized that decision-making and policy-making
remain at the top of the SAG and have not been delegated to
lower levels, much less to the municipal councils. They
emphasized that the traditional majles and right to petition
to the King is no longer suitable or sufficient to the KSA's
larger population and more complex society. The consensus
view is that while it is significant that the concept of
electing government officials has been introduced in the KSA,
political change is still insufficient and moving slowly.


3. (C) Human Rights First President Ibrahim Al-Mugaiteeb
(protect) stressed that the SAG should enact further reforms,
especially freedom of speech and association. Political
Scientist, author, and commentator Turki Al-Hamad (protect)
stressed the need for the SAG to construct an infrastructure
of democracy, which should include: preparing the public to
participate in government and support democracy; checks and
balances; freedom of speech; freedom of the press; freedom of
assembly; and an expanded electorate. He stressed the need
for broad, important educational reforms, noting that since
1979 Saudi curricula have not taught students how to think
independently and creatively.


4. (C) Unlike before 1979, students have not been taught
non-Islamic history, world history, or about other cultures
and religions, al-Hamad noted. He stressed that the KSA and
SAG have been very slow to reform because leaders want
painless, non-disruptive, non-controversial change, a near
impossibility and contradiction in terms, in his view. He
warned that the longer the SAG delays change, the higher the
price and potentially greater the consequences. He stressed
that elections without rights and freedoms mean "little to
nothing." He called for focusing more on ensuring rights and
freedoms. With the requisite infrastructure and support,
Al-Hamad believes, it will not matter as much if
conservatives and religious extremists dominate future
elections.


5. (C) Eastern Province businessmen either were indifferent
or welcomed this small move toward democracy while expressing
concern about the composition of the municipal councils.
They expressed concern in particular that conservatives and
religious extremists might dominate the councils. In Riyadh,
Saudi citizens told emboffs that they were pleasantly
surprised by the news that the SAG had completed formation of
the municipal councils, since many people had come to the
conclusion that "the process was dead," as one Riyadhi put
it. Riyadhis and Jeddawis also noted that they wanted to
study the lists of those appointed to the councils by the
SAG, particularly in order to see if the government had
appointed religious conservatives to the new bodies.

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COMMENT
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6. (C) Despite the fact that half of the municipal council
members were appointed by the SAG and only a limited
electorate, which excluded women voters, participated in the
Spring 2005 elections, King Abdullah's decision to complete
formation of the councils represents a significant step
toward political reform. In the last analysis, today there
are 592 elected officials on 178 officially formed municipal
councils in the Kingdom, while yesterday there were none. It
is also hard to believe that the timing of this announcement,
on the very day of the Iraqi parliamentary elections, could
be an accident. The SAG carefully follows the political
calendar in the region and has been monitoring the Iraqi
situation very closely.


7. (C) The long awaited formation of the municipal councils
may well signal that the SAG, in its own cautious way,
understands the trend in the region toward greater popular
participation in political life and governance, and wishes,
albeit in its own cautious manner, to take part. We will
monitor the situation to see when and how the new councils
begin operation and, in septels, report on the council
members the SAG has appointed. END COMMENT.
GFOELLER