ABDALLAH DOES HIS BEST TO ACCOMMODATE LIBERALS AND REFORMERS

The announcement of partial elections of municipal councils came under long-lasting pressure from liberals and reformers. These have met with Crown Prince Abdallah and have conveyed to him the seriousness of the domestic turmoil and the need to institutionalize public participation in the political life of the country. The more recent announcement by the liberals and reformers came in the form of a document titled, “Protecting the Nation.” An earlier document, “A Vision of the Current State of the Nation and Its Future,” had made similar demands. In essence, these documents focused on the need to reform the Kingdom to allow for elections of such legislative entities as the Consultative Council. Additionally, these documents have urged the Crown Prince to focus on ways to eliminate the “wasting of the public resources” and eradicate wide corruption.

The Crown Prince has kept an open mind and has been willing to meet with many who have sought his attention. He nonetheless has been unable to deliver the full democratic reforms they have sought. Would he have gone further than partial municipal elections had it not been for the divisions among the centers of power within the royal family? Maybe. At any rate, within that family, the Crown Prince represents the weaker wing. According to knowledgeable Saudis, Nayef, Sultan, and Salman seem to feel that reform is not necessary and that a better handle on internal security would provide more safety for the family and stability for the Kingdom. This is an uncertain assessment of the thinking of these men, but one that probably carries some truth in it and explains, in part, the half-way initiative for municipal elections.