ABSTRAK
Tahun 1992, Raja Fahd bin Abdul Aziz melakukan reformasi di pemerintahan monarki yang mengarah pada demokratisasi, dengan menerbitkan dekrit No.1 yang tercantum empat agenda. Salah satu pointnya yaitu pembentukan Majelis al-Syura propinsi (dewan kota). ini dilakukan dengan melibatkan partisipasi warga saudi pada pemilihan umum untuk memilih dan dipilih menjadi anggota dewan kota. Tesis ini menjelaskan sistem pemilu Arab Saudi dan implikasi partisipasi warga saudi pada pemilu 2005 terhadap perkembangan demokrasi disana. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan metode deskriptif analitis. Untuk menganalisis sistem dan partisipasi politik di saudi, digunakan konsep demokrasi, sistem pemilihan umum, dan partisipasi politik.Pemilu dewan kota menggunakan sistem First Past the Post pada Single-Member District. Bentuk partisipasi melalui kampanye yang menarik perhatian masyarakat dengan berbagai taktik dan programnya dan pemberian suara cenderung apatis, hanya mencapai 17% dari keseluruhan warga saudi. Penerapan Sistem pemilu dan partisipasi masyarakat berimplikasi bagi perkembangan demokrasi di Arab Saudi. Dapat dilihat dari hasil penelitian ini yang mana masyarakat semakin aktif diranah publik dan hubungan antara masyarakat dan pejabat pemerintah semakin membaik. Kebijakan yang dahulu terfokus pada persoalan luar negeri, dialihkan pada urusan dalam negeri. Kebebasan berekspresi dan keteraturan dalam proses penyelenggaraan pemilu, menjadi sinyal positif bagi keberlangsungan pemilu kedepan.

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ABSTRACT
In 1992, King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz did reformation to monarchy government leading to democratization, by issuing the decree No. 1 mentioning four agendas. One of the points was the formation of al-Shura assemblies at provincial level (municipal councils). This was performed with the participation of Saudi citizens in the general election to elect and to be elected as members of municipal councils. This thesis describes the general election system in Saudi Arabia and the implications of Saudi Arabia citizen participation in the general elections year 2005 to the development of democracy there. This study used a qualitative approach with descriptive analytic methods. To analyze the system and political participation in Saudi Arabia, the democracy concept, electoral system, and political participation were used.General elections of municipal council used First Past the Post system in Single-Member District. The form of participation was through campaigns that attracted people with different tactics and programs and the voting tended apathetic, only reached 17% of all Saudi Arabia citizens. The implementation of the general election system and the citizen participation had implications to the development of democracy in Saudi Arabia. It can be seen from the results of this study in which citizen were increasingly active in public domain and the relationship between citizen and government officials got better. Previous policies which were focused on foreign issues were transferred on domestic affairs. Expression freedom and regularity in the general elections process became a positive signal for the sustainability of general election in the future.