[nasional_list] [ppiindia] Kuwait Retains All-Male Parliament
- From: "Ambon" <sea@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
- Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2006 00:45:16 +0200
** Forum Nasional Indonesia PPI India Mailing List **
** Untuk bergabung dg Milis Nasional kunjungi:
** Situs Milis: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/ **
** Beasiswa dalam negeri dan luar negeri S1 S2 S3 dan post-doctoral
scholarship, kunjungi
http://informasi-beasiswa.blogspot.com
**http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=84632&d=1&m=7&y=2006
Saturday, 1, July, 2006 (05, Jumada al-Thani, 1427)
Kuwait Retains All-Male Parliament
Hassan A. Bari, Arab News
Veteran Kuwaiti opposition figure and three-time former Speaker
Ahmed Al-Saadoun, center, is congratulated by supporters following his victory
in the parliamentary elections in Kuwait City on Friday. (AFP)
KUWAIT, 1 July 2006 - "The sun of June 30 will rise with not a single
woman in Parliament," that was the prediction of an incumbent deputy, Dr.
Waleed Al-Tabtebaei, in an interview with Arab News during his electoral
campaign before the elections.
Tabtebaei's predictions in this regard proved right in Kuwait's first
parliamentary elections where women were allowed to caste ballots and run for
office. Vote tabulation ended early yesterday morning with no woman making it.
Powerful Islamist and reformist candidates swept the elections. Analysts
and newspapers said a strong showing by the opposition - a loose coalition of
pro-reform incumbent MPs, Islamists, leftists and liberals - raises the
possibility of deeper tension between the new assembly and the government.
Opposition candidates won two-thirds of the seats, state media said, but
the new Parliament will remain exclusively male. Twenty out of 29 reformist MPs
who formed the nucleus of the opposition alliance were re-elected to the
50-member house.
They were joined in the National Assembly by at least 11 new members,
including prominent figures in opposition circles, new Islamists and young
liberals with anti-corruption platforms.
None of the 28 women among a total of 249 candidates won a seat even
though women make up 57 percent of the Gulf state's 340,000 eligible voters.
Overall turnout was heavy at 65 percent but only 35 percent for women, state
media said.
Candidate Rola Dashti, 42, an economist and symbol for women activism in
Kuwait, got 1,539 votes compared to 8,095 for ex-MP and outspoken opposition
candidate Musallam Al-Barrak who led the race.
The strongest of the incumbents was the former Speaker Ahmed Al-Saadoun.
One of his supporters, Meshari, 35, stressed that Saadoun was the best choice
for fighting corruption. "He had always been fighting against corruption," said
Meshari excitedly.
Journalist Hanan Al-Saadoun (not related to the MP) said that she was so
happy none of the women candidates had made it. "They still need more political
awareness to do the job," said Hanan noting that some of the women, be they
candidates or voters, still do not realize even their simplest religious
rights. "So how can they be a part of any legislation process?" asked Hanan,
pointing out that even the ownership of public housing was so far restricted to
men who could throw childless women out if divorced.
"We still need a lot to learn," reiterated Hanan expressing her
satisfaction with the results Islamists achieved in the elections by winning 18
seats of which four were won by new faces. Hanan also pointed out that her
experience in the polling station she voted in was so frustrating. "The
majority of the 7,308 women voters in this district were so arrogant and
superficial in using their political rights for the first time," she stressed
highlighting some policemen's remarks about the hard time they had in securing
the process at that particular polling station. "Many of them said they would
not take part in any similar future security missions," she concluded.
Canar, 40, said that she was happy that the results matched her
predictions and anticipations bearing in mind that this was the first political
experience for women. Canar added that the shocking thing about previously
predicted results was the number of votes won by the leading women candidates.
Unexpectedly, Aisha Al-Reshaid came first among top women candidates such as
Dashti and Nabeela Al-Anjeri. Arab News tried calling the candidates but Anjeri
had her mobile phone switched off while Dashti did not answer calls.
Al-Reshaid said she was disappointed with the results that had been
affected by what she described as "the last-moment coalitions" made between men
and some women candidates in their effort to thwart women. "Many of the
incumbent members of what is known as the '29 Block' managed to mobilize women
to support and vote for them," said Al-Reshaid blaming all political movements
of working to prevent women from winning. "Nevertheless, this experience
enhanced my strength and determination to go on fighting, particularly with
anticipations that the newly elected Parliament will not last long," said
Al-Reshaid noting that in view of the growing power of Islamist MPs and the
extension of 29 Block (opposing the government schemes concerning
constituencies) to include 32 members, would surely bring an early dismissal of
the Parliament. "Maybe as early as February 2008," said Al-Reshaid confirming
her intention to run the next time round.
Iman, 31, a woman voter said that she had never expected Ghanima Haidar,
running in her Roudha district, would make it to the Parliament. "I myself
would not vote for a woman as they still lack even the simplest tactical
skills, political awareness or the ability to address the public's concerns,"
said Iman while expressing her joy that Islamist MPs like Nasser Al-Sanea won.
In his daily column in Al-Watan, Fuad Al-Hashim congratulated women on
having tried. "I voted for two women candidates," wrote Al-Hashim while
expressing his disgust at how some male candidates had been flirting and
"begging" for women's votes after decades of ignoring their demands. "They
neglected the wishes of the late emir that was announced in 1999, yet they
immediately voted for women's rights when the American president showed them
what his 'red eye' could do if they remained so stubborn," stressed Al-Hashim.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Check out the new improvements in Yahoo! Groups email.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/6pRQfA/fOaOAA/yQLSAA/BRUplB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
***************************************************************************
Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg
Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia
***************************************************************************
__________________________________________________________________________
Mohon Perhatian:
1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik)
2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari.
3. Reading only, http://dear.to/ppi
4. Satu email perhari: ppiindia-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
5. No-email/web only: ppiindia-nomail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
6. kembali menerima email: ppiindia-normal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ppiindia-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
** Forum Nasional Indonesia PPI India Mailing List **
** Untuk bergabung dg Milis Nasional kunjungi:
** Situs Milis: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/ **
** Beasiswa dalam negeri dan luar negeri S1 S2 S3 dan post-doctoral
scholarship, kunjungi
http://informasi-beasiswa.blogspot.com **
Other related posts:
- » [nasional_list] [ppiindia] Kuwait Retains All-Male Parliament
