JEDDAH, 4 January 2005 — Former Saudi female candidates for the upcoming municipal elections had varied responses after a senior election official yesterday said that women would be allowed to vote in 2009.
Prince Mansour ibn Miteb, chairman of the General Committee for Municipal Elections, explained that the only reason women were not allowed to vote in this round was because municipal elections are a new experience and the short time given to prepare for them made it impossible to allow women’s participation this time.
Faten Bunduggi, the director of women’s empowerment and research at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry said: “It is a very good news if the statement is true; it shows that the government is empowering women to take part in political decision making in the country.
In the meantime, we hope that the government would consider allocating female representatives, as fifty percent of the municipal seats will be appointed.” Bunduggi added that she hoped women would be appointed at least from the major cities like Riyadh and Jeddah.
One of the main organizers of the female candidates, Hatoon Al-Fassi, assistant professor of history at King Saud University in Riyadh, said: “We are so disappointed that the push for women to vote will take another four years. We don’t think that the committee took the right decision. We believe that they don’t have the legal right to take that decision.”
Another candidate from the Eastern Province, Najat Al-Shafie, was more optimistic.
“Women still have a good chance to be appointed and we are optimistic about still having a chance to vote. Meanwhile, there should be a committee to pinpoint and solve the problems and the difficulties that women may face in the voting process, as well as problems that elected women may encounter.”
She added that there should be a strategic plan that would facilitate women’s participation in the future.
“Women are very worried and feel excluded due to this elimination, because females are half of the society,” she said.
She explained that the weak response to the recent voter registration drive in Riyadh was due to the fact that women were not being allowed to participate.
“Women are the mothers and the ones responsible for bringing up our children. Therefore, it is important that they be part of the political process to be able to teach their children the importance of political participation.”
The three-stage municipal elections are to begin on Feb. 10 in Riyadh, with other regions voting in March and April. Voters will choose half of the 178 municipal council members in 13 regions, while the government will appoint the other half.
