So, the committee charged with accepting or rejecting individuals’ rights to vote in the upcoming Municipal Elections has ruled. Women will not be permitted to vote. They don’t appear to explain their conclusion, or its basis, in this Arab News article, however. What’s more, the committee says its decision is final and unappealable.
And then the article goes on to note that registration numbers for the elections are down. Hmmm… might there be a correlation before our very eyes? No, that couldn’t be.
Poll panel dismisses woman’s complaint
ARAB NEWSJEDDAH: The Scrutiny Committee for the September municipal elections has refused to accept an objection tabled by a woman complaining that she was prevented from registering to vote, sources close to the committee told Arab News Friday.
The committee did not identify the complainant.
The woman said the prevention was not legal and deprived her of her right to cast her vote. Men under the age of 21 and women are prohibited from voting in the elections for half of the country’s municipal council members. Women are also not allowed to run for municipal council positions.
According to the sources, the woman applied several times to register her name in vain.
The sources said the committee studied the woman’s plea under the elections’ rules and regulations and unanimously decided not to accept her plea. The committee said its decision was final and could not be appealed under Article 38 of the municipal elections charter.
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But women can take part in elections for literary club directors! Surely, that’s adequate recompense, no?
Polling boost for women
GHADAH SALEH | ARAB NEWSABHA: The Ministry of Culture and Information maintained Friday that it has no intention of blocking Saudi women from contesting elections for the boards of directors of the literary clubs.
“There is no intention of the ministry whatsoever to do this,” said Undersecretary for Cultural Affairs Nasser Al-Hijailan said.
He stressed that Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja has confirmed this right of women to run as well as vote for these positions.
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May:28:2011 - 09:26
Reform at snail pace. I think genetically engineered humamonkeys will be voting and driving before women.