Saudi Arabia has announced the formation of a committee of princes to vote on the eligibility of future kings and crown princes in an apparent effort to quell uncertainty about the kingdom's stability. The measure institutionalizes consensus-building within the royal family by giving different branches of the ruling family in the selection.
Until now, the throne has passed from one to another of the 37 sons of the late King Abdul-Aziz al-Saud, founder of modern Saudi Arabia and father of the current king and crown prince. It was the prerogative of the king to appoint the crown prince. While the immediate succession to King Abdullah is settled, there has been considerable concern in the kingdom about what will happen 10 years or so down the line.
According to a statement from the royal court, the committee, to be known as the Allegiance Institution and made up of the sons and grandsons of King Abdul-Aziz, will have a say in the appointment of a crown prince suggested by the king. If the institution rejects the nominee, it might then vote on one of three princes put forward by the king as candidates.
Under the new Saudi system, in the event that neither the king nor the crown prince are deemed fit to rule, a transitory council made up of five members of the Allegiance Institution would take over the affairs of state for a maximum of one week.
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