Four women elected to Municipal Council in Oman

Muscat: Four women were elected to Oman’s Municipal Councils even as several others failed to get a single vote in the first ever municipal elections held in the Sultanate on Saturday.

“We are happy that women are elected and wish them success in their endeavour to justify voters’ faith in them,” Khalid Bin Hilal Bin Saud Al Busaidi, Undersecretary at the Interior Ministry, said during a media briefing on Sunday afternoon.

“Awesome,” Shaima Bint Ali Bin Ebrahim Al Raisi told Gulf News when asked about her feelings after winning a seat from Baushar constituency with the most number of votes (346) in a field of more than 30 candidates.

“I haven’t contested the elections for privileges but as a duty, to serve people,” pointed out the entrepreneur, who has decided to donate her salary as municipal councillor to a charity. “I have decided to give all my salary to Al Nida Charity that works for the community in Baushar,” she said.

The multi-tasking mother and businesswomen stressed that she won’t have any problems in handling her new responsibilities as a councillor. “I started with one store, expanded it to three and now I have entered into new enterprises while handling my three children and family well,” she said.

The double bachelor and a master degree holder would particularly like to work for underprivileged people in her area. “Rather than a beautiful park in the area, I would like to make decent dwellings for the people of Baushar,” said the enterprising Omani woman, who is in her thirties but refused to say how old.

“Serving my [Baushar] community would be my top priority,” she insisted.

Mahmoud Bin Abdul Qadir Bin Mirhadi Al Shahwarei, who polled the most number (1,099) of votes from Muttrah province also expressed similar views. “Serving my wilayat [province] and taking their problem and needs to the government would be the top task for me as the newly elected councillor,” he told Gulf News.

After an enthusiastic start to voting in the morning, the trend slowed down in the afternoon and only 25 per cent of the votes were cast from 16,116 eligible voters in Muttrah. “I think it should be acceptable as this was the first time people were voting for the municipal council elections,” Al Shahwarei said.

He hoped that like in Shura elections, the voting percentage would go up next time.

“About 50.3 per cent of the 447,557 registered voters cast their suffrage,” Al Busaidi told media.

He also felt that since this was the first time Omani citizens were voting for the municipal council elections, the percentage was acceptable although it was far below the 76 per cent registered during last year’s Majlis Al Shura, the Consultative Council, elections.

He revealed that three women from Muscat Governorate — Baushar, Amerat and Quriyat — secured seats in the Municipal Council while one woman from Khaboura was third among four winners.

Al Raisi (Baushar), Sana Bint Hilal Bin Salem Al Mashariyah (Amerat), Fatima Bint Nasser Bin Saeed Al Sinaniyah (Quriyat) and Mozah Bint Abdullah Bin Mohammad (Khaboura) are the four women who were successful in the municipal council elections.

Al Busaidi also revealed that 61.3 per cent voters were men but at three centres in Muscat three women candidates polled the most number of votes.

In reply to a question he denied that there was any unjustified disqualification of candidates. “We have specified conditions and if a candidate doesn’t fulfil those criteria then the committee may reject their nomination,” he said, stressing that transparency was maintained in all aspects of the first-time municipal council poll.

Several candidates in different provinces failed to get a single vote.