THE PARTIAL ELECTIONS COULD PRODUCE A NATIONAL LEADERSHIP

The opposition's criticism notwithstanding, the promise of partial elections of municipal councils is a historic leap forward. And it could strengthen royal rule, as it will diminish somewhat the hostility that some sectors of the population hold towards the royal family.

Importantly, the election experiment--though local and partial--could very well result in bringing into the open the hitherto underground political activity--or activity that is taking place in such faraway places as London, Afghanistan, and the Northwest Province of Pakistan. In other words, these partial elections should provide a venue for political participation, which results could prove wider in scope than their local nature would foretell. They should bring forward a new, young, and possibly populist leadership. True, the opposition's criticism that the royal family will co-opt the elected municipal leaders is valid. But it is unlikely that the royal family will be able to co-opt all the elected leaders. Not to mention that the royal family does not speak with one voice. Note the recent criticism of that family by one of its prominent members: al-Waleed bin Talal.

Besides, some of the elected municipal leaders are bound by necessity to gain a national reputation and, one would hope, to keep an eye on the princes and on such issues as corruption and the wasting of public funds.