[nasional_list] [ppiindia] Kuwaiti Women Make History

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**http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=84608&d=30&m=6&y=2006

Friday, 30, June, 2006 (04, Jumada al-Thani, 1427)


      Kuwaiti Women Make History
      Hassan A. Bari, Arab News 

        
            

            Eqbal Al-Ghanim casts her vote in the 10th constituency. (Reuters)  
  
            
      KUWAIT, 30 June 2006 - Kuwaiti women went to the polls yesterday for the 
first time to elect a 50-seat Parliament.

      Driven by excitement over the new experience, some women queued at 
polling stations exclusively for women at least two hours before the polls 
opened at 8 in the morning. "I haven't slept all night and have been waiting 
for the polling to start," said Nadia, a voter in Bayan electoral district. 

      Banker Shahla Al-Abdullah, 23, said this was the first time Kuwaiti women 
"proved their competence." She said, however, that she would not be voting for 
one of the women candidates, Rola Dhasti, because she thinks that women 
politicians in Kuwait are still "green" and lacking in political experience.

      Afaf, a 39-year-old sales clerk, echoed this sentiment, saying she had 
voted for a male candidate. "The women candidates are still politically naive 
and have not had enough time to get ready for the elections," she said, also 
noting that some of the women candidates had been living abroad and therefore 
were not as familiar with local concerns.

      Agreeing with Afaf, Muna Al-Fuzai, activist and Kuwait Times columnist, 
said that although she backed women all the way they still need more time to 
prepare for legislative responsibilities.

      Umm Faisal, a 58-year-old disabled housewife, said she was happy to have 
lived to see women voting in her country. "We have been sharing all household 
responsibilities with our husbands, why not share planning the future of our 
country?" said Umm Faisal.

      At a men's polling station in Kuwait City, the process appeared to be 
going off without a hitch. 

      Ali Al-Rayyes, a 54-year-old director at Kuwait Television, said he voted 
for an incumbent and one of the women running in the election. "It's high time 
we allowed the other half of society to take part in determining the future of 
Kuwait," said Ali. "I promised my wife I would vote for one of the ladies," he 
added with a smile.

      Candidate Hamad Al-Tuwaijri, who is campaigning against corruption and 
the reduction of electoral constituencies, expressed his doubts that any of the 
women candidates would make it through.

      Candidate of the 7th constituency, Shariah professor and former Islamist 
MP Waleed Al-Tabtebaei told Arab News that the fact that women voters (57 
percent) outnumber the men would surely affect the composition of the coming 
Parliament. Yet, Waleed stressed that women's chances in this particular 
election process were feeble.

      "I believe Rola Dashti will win the majority of votes among women, but 
that will still not be enough for her to get a seat," he said.

      Kuwaiti journalist and publisher of Kuwait weekly Al-Hadath, Madhi 
Al-Khamees, said Kuwaitis were seeking reform and getting rid of former corrupt 
MPs and ministers. "The main issues to be tackled by the forthcoming Parliament 
are change in the number of electoral constituencies, the northern oilfield 
projects, housing problems, improving health services, developing the 
educational system and eliminating unemployment," he said.

      Madhi predicted that no woman would win. "Changes will be limited to a 
maximum of 15 out of the 50-member Parliament, with no woman at all," he said. 

      Polling closed at 8 p.m. and final results were expected this morning.

      There was no immediate official figures on the turnout but Kuwait TV 
reported that it was more than 80 percent in many of the 25 constituencies as 
voters braced searing temperatures close to 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).

      While the emir of Kuwait has the power to dissolve Parliament, the 
legislators have considerable power. For example, Kuwait's Parliament must 
approve all legislation and has gone against the emir's previous attempts to 
give women the power to vote. There are no political parties in Kuwait.
     


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