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Saudis vote in historic election

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Voters converged at polling stations in the Riyadh region on Thursday to participate in municipal elections, marking the first time that Saudis were taking part in a regular poll that conforms to international standards.

Women were banned from voting and running in the election, which represents a small political reform in this absolute monarchy. The first of the three-stage elections are only for half the country's municipal councils.

At polling station No. 40, a recreation center, election officials opened up the station by showing that three gray long ballot boxes were empty and they then locked, sealed, and stamped them to prevent fraud.

After their names were checked against a list, voters were allowed into a carpeted room where they went behind off-white screen to mark and submit their ballot cards. The smell of incense wafed through the room where voters cast their ballots.

"This was a wonderful moment," said Badr al-Faqih, a 54-year-old geography professor, moments after dropping the first vote into one of the ballot boxes. "This is a first step toward more elections."

Al-Faqih said he would keep his green voter's registration card "as a memento of this historic event."

Abdul Rahman al-Hussein, 53, a school principal, said he went to the polling station early to be among the first voter. "This is patriotic participation. I want this campaign to succeed," he said.

He said he chose his candidate based on the promises he made during the campaign, foremost of which is his promise to build children's parks.

More than 1,800 candidates were contesting 127 seats in the capital and surrounding villages on Thursday, with almost 700 of them running for seven seats in Riyadh. Only 149,000 out of 600,000 eligible voters have registered to vote. Two more phases will cover the rest of the country in March and April.

Ahmed al-Khalifa, a civil servant, said after voting, "This has been a unique experience. I did not want to register in the first place because I did not take the elections seriously. But I was afraid I would regret not registering and now I am glad I did."

Al-Khalifa said he wants to frame his registration card as a souvenir. He said he hoped the person he chose would work to improve the infrastructure and lighting in his neighborhood in Riyadh.

Abdul Nasser al-Zahrani, 46, an archeology professor, said, "This is the beginning of a new era. We now know what elections are and what it means to make your voice heard through proper channels. It is the beginning of democracy."

Asked about the fact that half of the members will be appointed, he said, "This is a first step and it is good as a first step but it should be followed by more steps." He said he was going to keep his card because "it is a symbol of the start of democracy."

Kutaiba al-Saddoun, 47, a wildlife conservation specialist, said he was happy to take part in the vote but, "We had expected that women would also have a role in this."

Asked to compare this experience with voting in Iraq, he said, "In Iraq, the election was to establish a new life to move the country from instability to stability. Here, the vote is to develop an already stable life."

At another polling station in an elementary school, officials checking names of voters sat in front of children's drawings and art works. Voters proceeded to an indoor basketball court to vote.

Abdullah al-Muhadib, 43, an auditor, said he was very happy with the experience but he would not have allowed his wife to vote if the government had permitted women to vote. "She is a queen at home but I am in charge of what takes place outside the house," he said.

Abdul Aziz al-Ghanam, 45, a land surveyor, had a different opinion. "A woman is a man's sister. I would not have had a problem with my wife voting," he said.