COME ON IN, THE WATER'S FINE:

Saudis dip toes in pool of democracy (Nicolas Rothwell, February 10, 2005, The Australian)

THE wave of democratic reform rippling through the Middle East takes many guises, from Iraq's first full-blown parliamentary elections to low-key pan-Arab debates under way in think-tanks and conference centres.

There was the Tunisian election late last year, widely viewed by observers as a rigged contest, and January's Palestinian presidential poll, when vivid campaigning preceded the strong popular vote for mainstream candidate Mahmoud Abbas.

But the municipal elections that begin today in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia may be the strangest and most telling sign of the new trend's impact.

The pace will vary, but the End is the same.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 9, 2005 11:50 AM