Saudi citizens in Riyadh region are set to cast their ballots when they go to the polls today as part of nationwide municipal elections. The citizens in Riyadh region will elect seven members of the municipal council, while seven other members will be appointed by the Government in line with the system of the municipal councils. The number of electors registered in Riyadh region has amounted to 150,000; 86,000 out of the total number are in Riyadh City. The number of candidates has amounted to 1818; 646 of them are in Riyadh City. Electors will cast their ballots at 140 constituencies, and the voting process will continue from 8:00 am up to 5:00 pm today. The official announcement for the winners will be on Saturday, Feb 12, 2005, while the sorting process will start Thursday evening. Meanwhile, Prince Mansour bin Metib bin Abdulaziz, the Head of the Municipal Elections Committee, said the Kingdom has sought the assistance of experts from the US, Europe and the Arab world for improving the municipal elections and services. He noted, at his press conference here last night, that a team from the UN will evaluate the process of the municipal elections. Prince Mansour bin Metib underlined the importance of participation in the municipal elections, and urged the media to cover the electoral process properly and accurately.
