ASSESSMENTS

Oman's Upcoming Municipal Elections

Dec 21, 2012 | 11:04 GMT

Omani Sultan Qaboos bin Said (C) in Muscat on Nov. 12

MOHAMMED MAHJOUB/AFP/Getty Images

Summary

Oman will host its first municipal elections Dec. 22, one of many domestic initiatives that Omani Sultan Qaboos bin Said is implementing in an attempt to release social tension and maintain stability in the Persian Gulf nation. Muscat hopes to use these initiatives to avoid much of the social and political upheaval that has affected the Middle East, since instability has historically allowed for greater foreign interference in Omani affairs. Stability in Oman is also important for international security since the country's location helps keep Saudi Arabia and Iran from gaining too much control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Before Qaboos took power, Oman was riven with internal conflict, particularly when Saudi Arabia and Iran vied for influence in the country by backing opposing Omani communities in the interior and on the coast. Stability finally came to the country under the rule of Sultan Qaboos in the 1970s. Years of expansive institutional and infrastructure development and social spending — fueled by the country's newfound hydrocarbon wealth — helped cement Qaboos' control over Oman's warring internal factions and balance Muscat's relationships with Riyadh and Tehran.

The step toward democracy is in line with the Sultan's past attempts to maintain stability....

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