Thursday, January 05, 2006

This Revolution Will Be Blogged

Kuwait Women Voters Outnumber Men

While you were watching the Iraq election (or not), wondering what happens to Israel now that Sharon is likely no longer in charge, Abramoff scandal making feathers fly on capital hill, NSA intel scuffle between politicos, the Iranians pretending to be the next crazy North Korea in the Middle East and the Russian Bear getting its nose smacked after trying to strong arm the Ukraine, you might have missed the march of liberal democracy in a tiny little country we saved from anhilation over a decade ago:

Jordan Times (News SectionKuwait Women Voters Outnumber Men

KUWAIT CITY (AP) — Kuwait's newly-enfranchised women have been added to the voter rolls for the first time, and the country now has more women voters than men, the interior ministry said on Wednesday. [snip]

No date has been set for next year's elections, but should the 50-seat men-only house have been dissolved before women were registered, they would not have been able to run for office or cast ballots. [snip]

Al Osaimi said 194,614 were now registered voters compared to 139,179 men. However, the figures are not final because many unregistered men were expected to sign up next month.

Also, most of some 56,500 women who did not qualify for registration will have the chance to challenge the decision in February. [snip]

Tribal and extremist lawmakers have said in Parliament that although they voted against political rights for females, they will make sure — now that it is a fact, that they benefit from women's votes in their precincts.

Businesswoman and journalist Aisha Al Rsheid, who was already campaigning for a seat in parliament, said she was optimistic some 150,000 of the registered women will go to the polls and should “make sure they don't vote for those [lawmakers] who voted against granting them their rights.”


Viva Lipstick Power

No comments:

Post a Comment