RIYADH: Saudi citizens can now petition the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud directly and lodge complaints through an Internet site set up at the initiative of the monarch himself. The portal tawasol.royalcourt.gov.sa, named after the Arabic word for communication, was launched on an experimental basis on Wednesday. All messages are to be forwarded to the King. “People will be able to inform the king about any shortcomings in the services offered by government agencies, and to take suitable action for the benefit of all citizens,” the website says. More and more Saudis in the kingdom are turning to social networking sites to demand improved living conditions.
Egypt warns against travel to Saudi
CAIRO: Egypt’s Health Ministry issued a warning yesterday against children, elderly people and anyone suffering from chronic heart and chest diseases travelling to Saudi Arabia due to an outbreak there of a deadly new virus. The first case of the disease in Egypt was reported on Saturday - a 27-year-old man who lives in Saudi Arabia but returned ill to Egypt last week after having been in contact with an uncle in the kingdom who died of MERS. In a statement, Egypt’s health ministry said that anyone under the age of 15 or older than 65, as well as pregnant women and people suffering from chronic heart and chest diseases, should postpone pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia. It said no further MERS cases had been confirmed in Egypt. The man who contracted the virus is in a stable condition in a hospital in Cairo, a health ministry official said.
Tunisia polls likely in November
TUNIS: Tunisia could hold legislative and presidential elections in November, the chairman of the electoral commission said yesterday, a day after parliament adopted a law to organise the polls. “In principle, the first round could take place in November, if they (both elections) are at the same time, with a second round in December,” Chafik Sarsar told Express FM radio. While Tunisia’s leadership is committed to holding general election before year-end, there is disagreement over whether the legislative and presidential polls should be held simultaneously. On Thursday, the interim parliament approved the new electoral law after an often rowdy debate. The planned elections aim to create permanent institutions in the country that spawned the Arab Spring in 2011 but which remains plagued by prolonged political crises, social conflict and a rise of jihadist groups. The legislative polls are to be held on a single, first-past-the-post basis by constituencies, with no threshold fixed. The presidential election is to be staged over two rounds and will require a majority vote. Agencies
