Riyadh, March 10: Saudi Arabia's Islamic Ummah Party has responded to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal's call for dialogue to end the rising unrest in the kingdom.
Spokesman for the party Mohammed bin Sa'ad al-Mifrith criticized the Saudi government for its “oppression,” corruption” and “dictatorship” on Wednesday.
“Who is left for the Saudi government to negotiate with?” the spokesperson said.
“All political, social and academic leaders are in jails or abroad or under terror,” he pointed out.
Earlier on Wednesday, the prince had asserted that demonstrations would not lead to reforms in his country and urged Saudis to express their demands through dialogue only.
"The best way to achieve what citizens want is through dialogue whether in the eastern region, or the western, southern and northern regions," the Saudi minister told a news conference.
He made the remarks after days of anti-government protests in the east of the country and calls for a "Day of Rage" rally on March 11, and another mass demonstration on March 20.
After the popular revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, there have been demands for reforms in Saudi Arabia more than ever before.
Saudis are openly calling for change, including political reforms and release of political prisoners.
Further fueling the unrest in the strategic Arab country are a high rate of unemployment among its youths and widespread corruption in the public sector.
Analysts warn that a serious unrest in Saudi Arabia could affect the energy output in the world's largest producer and exporter of oil, and send oil prices flying to $200 a barrel.
---------Agencies
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