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Saudi Women Won't Vote in Elections
Women will not vote in Saudi Arabia's municipal elections, the first nationwide polls to be held in the autocratic kingdom, the interior minister said in remarks published Monday, dashing the hopes of progressives who see such participation as vital to reform. An electoral official said administrative reasons were behind the decision to ban women from running or voting in the municipal elections to be held in three stages next year. The official, who spoke on customary condition of anonymity, said there are not enough women to run women's only registration centers and polling stations, and only a fraction have photo identity cards. Many women in this devoutly Muslim kingdom balked against getting the ID cards - introduced in 2001 - because the pictures would show their faces unveiled. Saudi women have limited freedoms. They cannot travel, get an education or a job, or check into a hotel alone without written approval of a male guardian. They cannot drive, mix with men in public or leave home without covering themselves with black cloaks, called abayas. "We were hoping for the participation of women, and there was a lot of talk and candidates who had prepared themselves to run," said Hussein Shobokshi, a Jiddah businessman. "The country is in a mind set that could accept the participation" of women, said Shobokshi, an advocate of women's rights. Hatoun al-Fassi, a historian who had been encouraging women to stand in the polls, said Nayef's comment required clarification, since he had not explained why women could not take part. She said women were waiting for an official statement that would give reasons for the decision. "That will give us room for negotiation and enough time to come up with solutions to any obstacles," al-Fassi told The Associated Press. Registration begins in November. Polling will start Feb. 10 in the capital, Riyadh, and the surrounding central area. Voting in the eastern and southwestern regions are to follow, starting March 3. Voters in northern areas will go to the polls April 21. The elections are part of the government's measured response to calls for political and social change. Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy, has an unelected Consultative Council that acts like a parliament. Political parties are banned and press freedoms are limited. The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States spurred calls for the Saudi royal family to modernize the country's political landscape. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers involved in Sept. 11 were Saudis. Posted by: TS(vice girl) 2004-10-11 |
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