09-30-2007, 05:40 PM
SAUDI PRINCE CRITICISES MONOPOLY OF POWER AT THE HEART OF KINGDOM
Salah Nasrawi, Associated Press in Cairo
Wednesday September 5, 2007
The Guardian
A prominent prince plans to form a political party in Saudi Arabia and invite jailed reformists to join. The rare call for reform from within the royal family is likely to anger the kingdom, which bans political parties.
Prince Talal bin Abdul-Aziz, a half-brother of King Abdullah and the father of Saudi Arabia's richest private business tycoon, also criticised what he termed an alleged monopoly on Saudi power by one faction within the Saudi royal family.
He did not name members of the faction, but was apparently referring to some of Saudi Arabia's most powerful princes: the Crown Prince Sultan, the interior minister, Prince Naif and the Riyadh governor, Prince Salman. The princes are all sons of the Saudi founder King Abdul-Aziz, as are Prince Talal and the king.
Prince Talal, now in his 70s, is considered something of an outsider within the royal family, because of his past pushes for reform, which forced him into exile briefly in the 1960s. But the prince is also believed to be a confidant of the current king, whom he praised as a reformer who faces "obstacles before him".
Saudi officials had no immediate comment. The royal family rarely comments publicly on internal matters.
In an interview with Associated Press, which was conducted outside Saudi Arabia, Prince Talal also criticised the jailing of reformists within the kingdom, and said they are welcome to join his party.
"I know this is not an easy thing to do, but we have to start forming this party," he said, adding that he wants the party to break a power monopoly by some members of the family who have been "holding executive power for some 70 years".
Prince Talal pointed to neighbouring Gulf nations, such as Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, which have already opened up their conservative political systems and held elections.
"Saudis are asking why these small countries have followed this direction and not us?" he said.
In the past, Prince Talal has called for an elected assembly to enact legislation, question officials and protect public wealth. In the interview, he also called on the kingdom's powerful Wahhabi religious establishment to make changes. "We have signed international conventions on women's rights and we should respect them," he said.
The group of Saudi activists that Prince Talal cited have been in jail for months for advocating reform. The prince called them "prisoners of conscience, not criminals".
Prince Talal also called for an independent Anglo-Saudi inquiry into claims that some Saudi royals received kickbacks from oil and arms deals. The US justice department is currently investigating a 1985 arms deal with BAE Systems.
"A joint independent Saudi-British committee should be formed to probe this, and if the accusations are proved, then the minimum that should be done is to return the kickbacks to the treasury," he said.
Salah Nasrawi, Associated Press in Cairo
Wednesday September 5, 2007
The Guardian
A prominent prince plans to form a political party in Saudi Arabia and invite jailed reformists to join. The rare call for reform from within the royal family is likely to anger the kingdom, which bans political parties.
Prince Talal bin Abdul-Aziz, a half-brother of King Abdullah and the father of Saudi Arabia's richest private business tycoon, also criticised what he termed an alleged monopoly on Saudi power by one faction within the Saudi royal family.
He did not name members of the faction, but was apparently referring to some of Saudi Arabia's most powerful princes: the Crown Prince Sultan, the interior minister, Prince Naif and the Riyadh governor, Prince Salman. The princes are all sons of the Saudi founder King Abdul-Aziz, as are Prince Talal and the king.
Prince Talal, now in his 70s, is considered something of an outsider within the royal family, because of his past pushes for reform, which forced him into exile briefly in the 1960s. But the prince is also believed to be a confidant of the current king, whom he praised as a reformer who faces "obstacles before him".
Saudi officials had no immediate comment. The royal family rarely comments publicly on internal matters.
In an interview with Associated Press, which was conducted outside Saudi Arabia, Prince Talal also criticised the jailing of reformists within the kingdom, and said they are welcome to join his party.
"I know this is not an easy thing to do, but we have to start forming this party," he said, adding that he wants the party to break a power monopoly by some members of the family who have been "holding executive power for some 70 years".
Prince Talal pointed to neighbouring Gulf nations, such as Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, which have already opened up their conservative political systems and held elections.
"Saudis are asking why these small countries have followed this direction and not us?" he said.
In the past, Prince Talal has called for an elected assembly to enact legislation, question officials and protect public wealth. In the interview, he also called on the kingdom's powerful Wahhabi religious establishment to make changes. "We have signed international conventions on women's rights and we should respect them," he said.
The group of Saudi activists that Prince Talal cited have been in jail for months for advocating reform. The prince called them "prisoners of conscience, not criminals".
Prince Talal also called for an independent Anglo-Saudi inquiry into claims that some Saudi royals received kickbacks from oil and arms deals. The US justice department is currently investigating a 1985 arms deal with BAE Systems.
"A joint independent Saudi-British committee should be formed to probe this, and if the accusations are proved, then the minimum that should be done is to return the kickbacks to the treasury," he said.