An Introduction to Intercultural Communication by Jandt Fred E

Author:Jandt, Fred E.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2017-10-23T16:00:00+00:00

Focus on Technology 8.1

Saudi Election Campaigns Move Online

Saudi Arabia held municipal elections in 2005 and 2011 in which only men were eligible to vote. In September 2011, King Abdullah announced that women would be able to vote and run in the 2015 municipal elections.

In the 2005 elections, political parties and electoral blocs were banned. Instead, campaigners used Internet forums and SMS messages to promote their preferred candidates.

By the 2011 elections, with the expansion of social media, much of the election campaign moved online, with candidates using Facebook, Twitter, and SMS messages openly. The authorities tolerated this, probably because there was no sign of overt politics, sectarian campaigning, or electoral alliances.

In the 2015 elections women candidates were to be fined for speaking directly to male voters. Some resorted to social media to reach out to voters.

Sources: “Q&A: Saudi Municipal Elections” (2011); Linthicum (2015).

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