The Hindu : International : Kuwait House fails to agree on voting rights for women

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Wednesday, May 04, 2005

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International

Kuwait House fails to agree on voting rights for women

Islamists, conservative tribal lawmakers oppose the idea

KUWAIT CITY: Parliamentary wrangling over whether women should be allowed to vote and run in municipal elections has resulted in delays that will make their participation impossible this time around, said Kuwait's Parliament Speaker, Jassem al-Kharafi, on Tuesday.

Mr. al-Kharafi's remarks to reporters followed a parliamentary session that initially had been expected to yield a new vote on the issue — a step women's rights activists hoped ultimately would lead to full political rights for Kuwaiti women.

However, after a delay beginning the session, lawmakers instead debated the constitutional correctness of invalidating Monday's vote on the matter.

Then, Parliament had voted 29-2 in favour of women's participation, but 29 Islamist and conservative lawmakers had abstained.

That left the measure two votes shy of the 33 clear yes or no votes believed necessary for a decision.

On Tuesday, after hearing from constitutional scholars, lawmakers adjourned any decision on the constitutionality of Monday's vote for two weeks — meaning any new vote is also on hold.

Final authority

By then, Mr. al-Kharafi said, an emiri decree scheduling the municipal council vote will have been issued. Once issued, he said, no changes will be permitted to who is eligible to vote or run for office.

``Women will not participate in the coming elections. If the law (ultimately) passes, women will participate in the following one,'' Mr. al-Kharafi told reporters. The Emir, Sheik Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah, in the past supported women's political rights. The Kuwaiti ruler is the final authority, but has allowed parliamentary decisions he's disagreed with stand in the past.

It wasn't clear whether there was any prospect of Sheik Jaber delaying his decree, which Mr. al-Kharafi said would be issued within days.

The idea of women voting is adamantly opposed by Islamist and conservative tribal lawmakers, who say it will result in women neglecting duties at home and lead to a breakdown of the family.

Women in high posts

Women in Kuwait, a close ally of the U.S., have reached high government posts in education, oil and the diplomatic corps. But, because even many Kuwaiti men are not allowed to vote, only 15 per cent of the population of more than 950,000 Kuwaitis is eligible to vote. If women older than 21 become eligible, that figure could rise to 39 per cent, according to an estimate by Al-Shall Economic Consultants.

In 1999, Parliament quashed a women's rights decree issued by Sheik Jaber while the legislature was not in session.

Soon after, religious militants and tribal lawmakers narrowly defeated an identical bill introduced by liberals.

Last-minute tactics

Disappointed women's rights activist Rola Dashti said called the abstentions ``last-minute tactics. Opponents abstained so that the number needed to pass would not be achieved,'' she said.

A year ago, the Cabinet introduced a suffrage bill that is expected to be soon deliberated by the House, though no date has been set.

The religious argument for opposing women's rights has been eroded by the Islamic Affairs Ministry ruling that Kuwait's emir has the last word on granting women equal political rights if Muslim clerics disagree on the issue. — AP

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