From CDHR
July 19, 2007
Powerful Prince Rules Out Elections
By Ali Alyami
Prince Naif is known for his opposition to democratic reforms, loath of reformers, and staunch support for religious extremists, whom he supervises in conducting violent actions against citizens. Recently, as the Saudi Minister of Interior, he was asked whether the powerless Majlis al-Shura, the Consultative Council, would be elected in the future or not. Such a question infuriated him, considering such matters an infringement on his ruling family’s domain: an exclusive right to rule by birth. According to Naif, “elections are not important, the ends are more important than means.” Naif claimed that the overwhelming majority of the Saudi people would object to elections if asked. Between February 10 and April 21 2005, the Saudi government, under pressure from the US, permitted partial and exclusionary municipal elections for the first time in the country’s history under the Saudi dynasty. Those who were allowed to run for office or vote demonstrated an eagerness to voice their opinions in a very orderly manner. When it became clear that women, military and security personnel, and all citizens under 21 years of age were excluded from participating in the elections, many of them vocalized their anger and condemnation of the election committee. Given the debate prior to, and after the elections, it became clear that had all citizens been allowed to vote, turnout could have been substantial, contrary to the assertions of Prince Naif.
To Prince Naif, elected parliaments did not help “Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Egypt or even Kuwait.” He furthermore downplayed any Saudi dissent on the matter, as “elections are discussed among foreign cells that have no interest in the well-being of the Saudi people.” The blaming of external factors for all internal failures has led to endemic buck-passing with little tangible progress or reform. It is interesting that Naif only compared the lack of political participation in his family’s kingdom to parliaments in countries where his government plays a major political and economic role in ensuring its interests own and spreading its extremist brand of Islam.
Naif is not the only senior member of Saudi royalty vehemently opposed to power-sharing with the Saudi people. King Abdullah, praised among Saudi proponents of his unfulfilled rhetoric and Westerners as a reformer, issued a royal decree in November 2006 putting an end to any possible hope to share power with the captive Saudi population. He created a council of princes to appoint a suitable member from the al-Saud ruling dynasty to become a king in case of illness or familial dispute on succession.