Without adequate preparation, says Abdel-Mohsin al-Akkas, a member of the majlis al-shura, the country's embryonic parliament, elections would be a leap in the dark.
Unofficial sources say that, in three years' time, citizens would be able to elect a third of the 120 currently appointed members of the majlis al-shura.
The elections had been billed as the start of a process leading eventually to the partial election of the majlis al-shura, the advisory council whose 150 members are currently appointed by the king.