JEDDAH — Women will be allowed to vote in the Jeddah City Council elections for 2016 to be held in September, Al-Hayat daily reported. Jeddah City Council Head Abdulmalik Al-Junaidi said Jeddah City Council is the first council in the Kingdom to allow women to vote. “I believe this step will vitalize the role of women in our society and will give them the chance to contribute to the development of the country. The city council is the entity supervising the municipality and overlooking its reports,” said Al-Junaidi. He added potential candidates must meet a few basic requirements to run in the elections. “Candidates must have at least a high school diploma, have a record of good conduct and be knowledgeable about the municipality and city affairs. The city council does not interfere with the elections as it is entirely organized by unbiased committees from the municipality,” said Al-Junaidi. He added the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and experts from academic and legal fields also participate in the organization of the elections. “Usually, half of the council members are elected and the other half assigned. However, in the next elections, only a third of the members will be elected and the rest will be assigned. The elections will take two to three months before the city council members for the year 2016 are announced,” said Al-Junaidi.
