Saudi elections: A step towards democracy?

Voters have gone to the polls in Saudi Arabia's first round of landmark municipal elections in the capital city, Riyadh.

They were the first of their kind in the kingdom, which is an absolute monarchy.

Other regions of the kingdom are due to vote in March and April, however women are not allowed to vote.

What do you think of the Saudi elections? Are they the first step towards democracy in the kingdom? Will they help in the country's struggle against militancy? Are you a Saudi who has voted and, if so, what are your thoughts on the election?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

---

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

Women are the back-bone of any country. Excluding them in important decision-making processes does not help in the march towards progress, enlightenment and good governance. Believing in archaic policies is not the sensible way forward. By clinging on to repressive, undemocratic measures Saudi Arabia is like a blinkered horse totally unaware of the strengths and capabilities of others. What a shame'
P Chandra, Brussels, Belgium.

Democracy does not work. It assumes that the majority are correct, when in reality the majority will always be the under educated and those upon misguidance. The Qur'an says "Are those who know equal to those who do not". The answer is a (Ashura) council of knowledgeable people, whose trustworthiness, and piety are known, to choose the rulers.
Richard Gonsalves, London ,England

Progress has been made and according to Prince Turki women may well be given the vote next election. Of course this means that Saudis can expect more support from America, mainly because of the oil factor but also because of their gradual democratisation. The Saudi royal family will retain power where it really matters. It is really interesting to note that the elections in Iraq have included women. In short the minimum change to maintain the status quo.
Tony, Welling Kent

Democracy is associated with the US; and that is enough to put me off the notion for life Nizam Yagoub, Saudi Arabia

I am a Saudi. I did not register for the municipality elections. Already we are seeing true democracy at work in my country. Only the rich and renowned have enough money to campaign and be able to reach the people. Candidates spend millions on congregation tents, billboards and newspaper ads. Saudis went one step further than their western predecessors; we now write poems praising certain (rich and famous) candidates and publish them in the newspapers. Anyway, democracy is associated with the US; and that is enough to put me off the notion for life.
Nizam Yagoub, Saudi Arabia

Saudi elections are a good experiment. The excuses by the Saudi oligarchy claiming that Islam and democracy are not companions don't hold water when we have regular elections in Islamic countries like Iran and Muslim countries like Turkey. However modern elections must be based on universal adulthood suffrage and the claims that even in the West women voted much later are irrelevant. Unless the king accepts to become a constitutional monarchy, Saudi will turn into an Islamic Republic of the Hijaz. Lastly, unless the Holy cities of Mecca and Medina are separated from the kingdom and are independent like the Vatican City, all Muslims resident in Saudi Arabia should be eligible voters.
Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi, Kampala, Uganda

Before we all get too excited, let me point out that this so called election is nothing but a mere facade put on by the embarrassed Saudi rulers in the hope of distracting the world's attention to their barbaric regime. As long as governments continue to govern in the name of Islam, democracy and freedom will never occur. Take it from me I'm a Muslim and I live in a Muslim state. To exclude women from the vote (and driving etc...) it's barbaric. Saudi Arabia is the source of so many problems.
Ahmed Karlouba, Casablanca, Morocco

It's a small step toward greater democracy, but it's a step. And, praise Allah, it's time such steps were taken.
Ali A, Saudi in USA

I hope that they in the future will allow women to vote as well. Islam has given the right to both women and men to vote. The interesting question is: Will the king leave power if he is not elected again?
Ali Naqvi, Copenhagen, Denmark

Britain didn't give votes to women either during the 20th Century. If the Saudi women want to vote, they need an Emmeline Pankhurst among them. But Saudi women aren't feminists. Saudi Arabia's a long way from democracy.
Fatima Aksakal, Perth, Australia

It would be unfair to expect Saudi to change overnight Mazin Al-Ghamdi (Saudi), London

While I am all in favour of full elections, meaning both men and women can vote and stand for all public and government positions, this must come at a controlled pace. Change is good, but it has to be natural change and not forced. It took countries in the western world hundreds of years to reach the level of democracy where they are now, it would be unfair to expect Saudi to change overnight.
Mazin Al-Ghamdi (Saudi), London, UK

I lived in Saudi 10 years ago and felt, over the three and a half years I was there, that things were improving for Saudi women - obviously not! I worked with so many forward thinking, intelligent, and liberated Saudis - it is a sorry situation to find that those individuals have had no influence on the religious fundamentalists that are well on the way to destroying what could be a wonderful democratic country.
Kitty, Birmingham

Whilst it should be noted that only half the municipal council seats are democratically up for grabs and women are unable to vote this time around, it is surely a step in the right direction that Saudi Arabia (and those who have put pressure on them) should be proud of. Saudi Arabia was given only one year to organise the elections and this did not leave enough time to have separate voting stations for women (cultural differences!) and to train women election officials. There is expectation of this changing next time around, with the mayor of Riyadh amongst others putting his weight behind this. A sign of a brighter future? I hope so.
Mike Malyon, London, UK

This is no more than a smoke and mirrors operation by the stagnant Saudi ruling oppressors Grace Hurlington, Singapore

This is no more than a smoke and mirrors operation by the stagnant Saudi ruling oppressors. These are men that have enough money to buy countries, and to influence US politics and you believe they are contemplating relinquishing their stronghold over that country... the only promise of freedom from tyranny the Saudis have is the promise of revolution. Democracy cannot be granted by a ruling dictatorship, it has to be fought for and won, by the people.
Grace Hurlington, Singapore

While Saudi Arabia may be light years away from western style democracy, there is no question that these elections represent a massive and welcome step towards a more democratic and progressive Saudi Arabia.
Helen Smith, Philadelphia

You have to walk before you can run Cindy Hoffman, Sherman, Texas

You have to walk before you can run. Woman could not vote in elections at one time in America either. Change happens slowly, but at least this is a start.
Cindy Hoffman, Sherman, Texas

This does not deserve the name election. How insulting that people are claiming this is some kind of embryo democracy when women cannot vote. When are we going to wake up to our hypocrisy over Saudi Arabia? When Saudi women are going to Iran for a bit of a break from oppression, you know something isn't quite right.
Katherine, London, UK

Some posters here appear to be ignorant of the fact that women in this region have few, if any, identification papers. This makes it impossible to track who is eligible to vote. That being said, I believe they are correcting the problem but could not get it completed prior to this vote. It's certainly not a perfect situation at all however there is no denying that it is a step in the right direction. I'm sure once the women are issued the necessary identification papers, they too will be voting. I don't know of any new democracy that didn't have challenges to overcome, so give them some time!
Dan, US

To Dan, US: All Saudi women are identified in their responsible male guardian's Iqama (Saudi ID book).
Blewyn, Manama, Bahrain

Let's take what we can get right now. The Saudis know it is either a republican democracy that eventually enfranchises all adult Saudis (but not the half of the population that are imported labourers and servants) or a complete breakdown into ethnic group warfare and destruction of their oil only economy.
Adrienne K, Fayetteville, NC

At least these elections are happening without bombs. Democracy should be that way.
Hankie Uluko, Nairobi, Kenya

It's a good step forward but it is still sad to see the progress they are trying to make, doesn't include the women Saliesha, Ft Lauderdale

It's a good step forward but it is still sad to see the progress they are trying to make, doesn't include the women. In Islam women are supposed to be treated fairly but under the Saudi rule they are not. It's a shame to see Islam's holiest place treating the women that way
Saliesha, Ft Lauderdale, Florida

I have made this point many times before - if any other group of people representing 50% of the population were excluded from voting, nobody would call this a step towards democracy. Why is it that women are always expendable? Your heading should be Saudi male elections, not Saudi elections.
Beth Craig, Dublin, Ireland

It should be noted that the first four Caliphs of Islam, who ruled from Medina, were democratically elected by the people. This was democracy in 600AD, before any of the western democracies. It was only after the fifth Caliph that the practice died.
Faiz Ahmed, Toronto, Canada

Culture change is hard and slow. Democracy in the Arab world is in its infancy. Its a start, to those who criticise the fact that women are not allowed, think back as little as 100 years ago it was the same here. Anyway who are we to mock, less than 40% of UK people vote. Many have fought and given their lives for the right to vote and freedom. What have you critics done?
Charles, Oxford, UK

This is nothing like democracy Adam, London, UK

The limited scope of these elections and the exclusion of women show clearly that this is nothing like democracy. But don't worry: George W Bush has promised to export freedom to the rest of the world, so I'm sure it won't be long before he sends the US troops in to liberate the Saudi people. Or doesn't freedom apply to countries that happened to fund about a trillion dollars' worth of the US economy?
Adam, London, UK

I know it's controversial, but I think it's sensible that women should not vote this time. Because of their past oppression in Saudi and through no fault of their own, they would only vote for who they were told to vote for by their husbands or fathers. Therefore those men with most women in their families would have a larger say.
Dan C, UK

Those condemning the elections for not including women should consider that from the signing of the Magna Carta (the first concession of royal power in England) it took several hundred years, a civil war, a world war and many decades of campaigning in recent history before women were permitted to vote. To expect Saudi Arabia to achieve in one step what we have achieved since 1215AD is harsh to say the least.
Steve, London, UK

It takes time for a country to transform itself from its ancient traditions. So to point out that women are not allowed to vote in these elections is simply a demonstration of unrealistic expectations at this time. That the Saudis are even holding elections should be the focus of the story.
Ryan Dowhower, San Diego, USA

It is a step in the right direction. Maybe in the future Saudi Arabia will blossom into a full liberal democracy headed by a constitutional monarchy.
G P Russell, Peterborough, England

We now have four embryo democracies in an area of the world where voting was previously unknown John R Smith, UK

To those that have been ridiculing the US campaign to export freedom to the world: Hang your heads in shame! Afghan and Iraqi general elections, the Palestinian leadership vote and now a Saudi election as well. None of these are exactly perfect, but who would have thought that in only a few years we now have four embryo democracies in an area of the world where voting was previously unknown? Let's see how long the other dictatorships in the region can carry on denying their people the vote.
John R Smith, UK

John R Smith, UK: I'm afraid you've missed the point. First off, democracy isn't just about elections. Secondly, it's a bit presumptive to say you're exporting freedom when really the aim is to replace one tyrant (who has recently not co-operated with the USA) with another more pliable tyrant. This election is a complete sham, just a fig leaf for the neo-cons to try and avert criticism about their policies of endorsing autocratic and tyrannical rule by their puppet regime (House of Saud) while preparing to clamp down on Iran, which is altogether a more liberal society by comparison.
Vikram, Guildford, UK

To John Smith, UK: Please get your facts right, Palestinians already had a democracy, as they voted for the late Arafat to be their head of state, although questions have to be asked about his leadership.
Muhammed Sarwar Ahmed, Chester (studying in Birmingham)

Since the US government has recently gone on record about the "loathsome" human rights regime in Iran (a country where women can drive and vote), I am sure we can now expect them to show some consistency in relation to the shocking way that women are habitually treated in Saudi Arabia - let alone kept away from the vote? Or is this less serious, because the ruling powers allow the US to keep airbases wherever they wish and supply them with oil? The lack of statements condemning this farce in one of the most repressive countries on earth shows precisely the level of credibility that should be accorded to countries like the US and the UK with their seemingly endless, self-promoting statements espousing the value of democracy and freedom.
Rustam Roy, London, UK

Without letting every adult vote, regardless of gender, they can't call it a democratic election - simple as that.
Adam, Edinburgh, Scotland

Adam, Edinburgh, Scotland: The Ancient Greeks who came up with the concept of democracy didn't let women vote. The US didn't allow women to vote until 1918 and it was 1921 before it happened here.
Peter, Nottingham, UK

OK let me get this straight. An electorate of three million in a population of 24 million will elect half of their local councillors. All national figures and the remaining half will be appointed by the existing Royal family. Forgive me if I don't break out the champers just yet!
Helen Greenhalgh, Edinburgh, UK

Democracy isn't the answer Cook, UK

When will countries learn that democracy isn't the answer? It produces vote hungry hypocrites. The best form of government is benevolent dictatorship, the challenge is to find the right person.
Cook, UK

To Cook, UK: I agree, but even if you find the right person they won't live forever. How do you keep choosing the right person? We just need to be more intelligent about who we vote for, perhaps then democracy will work.
Chris, UK

I have lived in Saudi Arabia. I found it totally oppressive and I have lived around the Gulf for over 25 years. I always try to fit in with local customs and learn the courtesies. As no women are involved in these elections they mean nothing at all!
Pam Grant-Stevenson, N Ireland/Qatar/France

It's laughable that women aren't allowed to vote, yet they call it an election. Why is it that when women are treated in this way it is ignored internationally. If it were any other group, then the whole of the world's media would be up in arms. The assertion that it is 'cultural' is no excuse.
Pam King, Bath, UK

I was appalled by the short-sighted decision of the Saudis to exclude women from these elections. Once again they have convinced the world that Wahabi Islam and democracy are incompatible.
Lefteris Sideris, Athens, Greece

To Lefteris Sideris, Athens, Greece: You make me laugh. So-called Wahabi Islam has nothing to do with this. I have lived in Saudi for more than 25 years and believe me this no small step. I do understand that women not being able to vote isn't fair but we should remember the so called beacon of democracy didn't give women the right to vote till early 20th century.
Mansoor Ansari, Boston , USA

Democracy? Don't make me laugh! What's the point in a half hearted effort like this when women are still excluded? Don't tell me it's 'cultural differences', it's plain and simple oppression.
Lou, UK

This is either going to anger the ones who feel there is no need for democracy or it's going to make a lot of people happy. But I really don't know what the point in voting is for anyway. It's never the voices of the people but the words put in their mouths by the leaders. I just hope Saudi does not follow the examples of the Bush administration.
Lisa, USA

There is one thing to say, it's a good first step!
Shaheer, Perth, Australia