Kuwait will appoint women in Municipal Council, says PM

Kuwait Prime Minister Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah said yesterday that he intends to appoint women as members in the Municipal Council after tribal candidates captured six of the 10 seats in the country's municipal elections.

"There will be women in the municipal council. I say this, but don't ask me about their number now. Kuwaiti women will share the responsibility with their Kuwaiti brothers to serve this country," Shaikh Sabah told Al Watan daily after the announcement late on Thursday of the Municipal Council election results.

The government announcement regarding naming women as members in the council is expected to be made tomorrow following the weekly cabinet meeting.

Speculations have been rife that up to three women will be appointed in the 16-member council. Ten members are elected, while the remaining six are appointed by the government.

Turnout in the municipal council elections held on Thursday as the last polls without the participation of women, was around 50 per cent, more than 11 per cent lower than the previous election held in 1999.

The elections were held under tight security measures, with interior ministry forces mobilised.

Tribal candidates won six seats, businessmen won two, while Shiite and Sunni Islamist candidates won one each.

Of the 10 members, three retained their seats of 1999, while a fourth was a member of the 1995 council.

Tribes of Awazem and Mutairi bagged two seats each, while Enezi and Ajman won one seat each. The large tribes of Rashidi and Oteibi were left without a representation.

A total of 54 candidates contested the elections, the first after women won the right to vote and run in elections with a historic parliamentary vote on May 16.

Women were not allowed to participate in the elections because when parliament took the decision to grant Kuwaiti women political rights, the date for these municipal elections had already been announced.

Women will, however, vote and run in the 2007 parliamentary elections and the 2009 municipal polls.

The establishment of the first Municipal Council came after the municipal law was issued in 1930 and the first elections were held in 1932 with the participation of a limited number of prominent figures with the aim of working out development plans for the country.

During their short campaigns, candidates discussed a host of issues including corruption, housing problem, family ties, traffic congestion, lack of recreational facilities and relocation of the service stations from the city centre to the outskirts.

"This is an historic day. It is the last time that only half the society will make decisions for the country," Rula Dashti, chairwoman of Kuwait Economic Society, said.

"We are looking forward to see women appointed in the municipal council and as ministers," she said.

Prime Minister Shaikh Sabah has repeatedly said following the May 16 vote in parliament that he plans to name a woman minister in his 16-member cabinet.

Kuwait has a single municipal council whose powers are restricted to civic planning, monitoring some public services and restaurants, roads and civil construction.

"I believe this council has an important role to play in light of the fact that Kuwait is forging ahead with economic reforms. The council must speed up decision-making in providing land for projects and improve city planning," Dashti said.

Almost 90 per cent of land in Kuwait is monopolised by the state in order to protect oil reserves.

Kuwait became the first Gulf Arab state to have a constitution and parliamentary democracy in 1962, but women were barred from participating in political life although they have taken part in trade and student union elections.

The writer is a journalist based in Kuwait City