Saudi royal calls for regime change in Riyadh

[lovuian]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/28/saudi-royal-calls-regime-change-letters-leadership-king-salman

Plea by grandson of state’s founder comes as falling oil prices, war in Yemen and loss of faith in authority buffet leadership of King Salman

[MADem]

1. Shades of Faisal--but I wouldn't call this "regime change." I would call it an internal coup.

This is like taking the planning of the annual family picnic away from Aunt Mildred and Uncle Brutus, and giving it to Cousin Fred and his wife Martha. The same people are gonna show up, pretty much, the only difference is who arranged the pic-a-nic tables and bought the food for the cookout.

The letters in Arabic calling for the overthrow of the king have been read more than 2m times. The letters call on the 13 surviving sons of Ibn Saud – specifically the princes Talal, Turki and Ahmed bin Abdulaziz – to unite and remove the leadership in a palace coup, before choosing a new government from within the royal family.

“Allow the oldest and most capable to take over the affairs of the state, let the new king and crown prince take allegiance from all, and cancel the strange, new rank of second deputy premier,” states the first letter.

“We are calling for the sons of Ibn Saud from the oldest Bandar, to the youngest, Muqrin, to make an urgent meeting with the senior family members to investigate the situation and find out what can be done to save the country, to make changes in the important ranks, to bring in expertise from the ruling family whatever generation they are from.”

The letters are unlike anything that has happened since King Faisal deposed King Saud in a palace coup in 1964.

I gotta say, though, Salman looks a little fishy to me....!

[leveymg]

2. Coup might forestall regime change. Perhaps.

Interesting political system, dynastic despotism.

[lovuian]

3. Is it just me or low oil prices

making these guys mad

[eissa]

4. He's calling for one family member to be replaced by another family member

This isn't an actual country, it's a family-run entity with a flag.