Declaration of National Reform
A group of Saudi intellectuals had previously submitted specific proposals in a document titled “Vision for the Present and Future of the Nation” to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in January 2003, which he welcomed and promised to look into. Soon afterwards, several senior officials announced that the government was determined to adopt comprehensive reform policies within the government apparatus as well as its relationship with Saudi society.
And now, a decade later, very little of the promised reforms have been implemented. We believe that the problems indicated in the “Vision document” and subsequent demands for reforms have been exacerbated by the delays in political reform.
The current situation is full of risks and reasons for concern. We are witnessing with the rest of the Saudi population the receding of Saudi Arabia’s prominent regional role; the deterioration of the government apparatus and administrative competence; the prevalence of corruption and nepotism; the exacerbation of factionalism; and the widening gap between state and society, particularly among the new generation of youth in the country. This threatens to lead to catastrophic results for the country and the people, which we will never accept for our nation and its children.
Resolving these conditions requires a serious review and an immediate announcement that both government and society will together adopt a comprehensive reform project that focuses on structural shortcomings in our political system, and that leads our country towards a constitutional monarchy.
The people’s consent is the basis for the legitimacy of authority, and the only guarantee for unity, stability, and the efficiency of public administration, as well as the protection of the country from foreign intervention. This requires a reformulation of the state-society relationship, whereby the people will be a source of authority, and a full partner in deciding public policies through their elected representatives in the Shura (Consultative) Council, and whereby the purpose of the state is to serve society, secure its interests, improve its standard of living, and ensure the dignity of its members, their pride, and the future of their children.
We therefore look forward to a royal declaration that clearly demonstrates the state’s commitment to becoming a “Constitutional Monarchy,” and that puts in place a timeline that delineates the beginning, implementation, and finalizing of the desires reforms. The royal declaration should also confirm the adoption of the major reform goals, namely: the rule of law, full equality between members of the population, the legal guarantee of individual and civil freedoms, popular participation in decision-making, even development, the eradication of poverty, and the optimal use of public resources.
In this vein, the reform program should include:
Developing the Basic Law into a comprehensive constitution that serves as a social contract between the people and the state. It should state that the people are the source of authority and guarantee the separation of the three powers: executive, judicial and legislative, while limiting their authorities, and linking their powers to responsibility and accountability. The constitution should also guarantee justice and equality among all citizens, legally protect individual and civil liberties, and ensure equal opportunities, as well as confirm the state’s responsibility to guarantee human rights and the right to freedom of expression and to strengthen public liberties, including the right to form political and professional associations.
