RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi men voted in a municipal election in the capital Riyadh Thursday, the first stage in an unprecedented nationwide vote as the absolute monarchy inches toward reform.
"It took a long time to get here but we've broken through a psychological barrier, that we couldn't deal with ballot boxes," said university professor Sulaiman Enezi, who raised his arms in triumph after casting his vote.
The polls, from which women are excluded, are part of a cautious program of reform introduced by de facto ruler Crown Prince Abdullah. He has faced calls for change at home and from Saudi Arabia's main ally, the United States, after the Sept. 11 attacks which were carried out by mainly Saudi hijackers.
And the tide just keeps on turning.
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