Officials praise Saudi elections

Saudi officials said they were pleased with the turnout in the country's all-male municipal elections. The voting Thursday marked the second time the government, an absolute monarchy, has held elections in the country's history, The New York Times reported. Only men over the age of 21 who are not employed by police or security forces were eligible to vote in the elections for local advisory councils. Women were given the right to vote, by royal decree, last week. But that won't take effect until 2015. Prince Mansour bin Miteb, minister of municipal and rural affairs, told Arab News the voting satisfied the yearnings of the people "for a free, fair and credible election." The prince said he hoped the decree allowing women to vote in the next municipal elections would lead to a "qualitative shift in municipal activities," Arab News reported.