Qatari women mobilize extra early for 2007 poll
Enviado: 28 Mar 2006, 15:20
Qatari women mobilize extra early for 2007 poll
March 20, 2006
DOHA -- The first legislative elections in the history of the resource-rich Gulf emirate of Qatar are not due until early 2007 but women are already mobilizing to take part, encouraged by democratic reforms.
More than 120 women have signed up for a program intended to educate them about the electoral process and how to run and finance campaigns, the vice-president of the emirate's electoral commission, Sheikh Khaled Bin Jaber Al Thani, said.
"We are encouraging women to take part in the elections," he said.
In June 2005 Qatar adopted a constitution for the first time since independence from Britain in 1971, establishing democratic reforms in a country long ruled by an absolute monarchy. The constitution clears the way for the separation of executive, legislative and judicial branches and allows 45 members of parliament to be elected. The emir reserves the power to appoint the remaining 15 members.
The current members of the Shura (consultative) council, as parliament is known, are all appointed by the emir, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa.
The emir has advocated greater political openness since taking power after deposing his father in 1995.
The constitution confirms women's right to vote and run in polls as spelled out in a previous decree issued by the emir.
In the last municipal elections in 2003, only one woman candidate, Sheikha Al Jiffri, ran and won a seat. Many women had been discouraged by their experience in the previous election in 1999 when six ran and none won.
"I sense a strong will by women to live the electoral experience," Jiffri said, urging women "to knock down the wall of hesitation".
Sheikh Khaled said that he was convinced that women would be representative in the Shura council.
"I think women have overcome the shock of failure in 1999, more and more are showing interest in running in the elections," he said.
Women have made some headway in the conservative Muslim emirate over the past few years getting a cabinet post and heading several important institutions.
The emir's wife, Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Misned, is rumored to the true power behind the scenes and has taken a high profile role as the head of the Qatar Foundation, which is involved in several educational programs and East-West dialogue initiatives that have put the world spotlight on Doha.
But some women say that the only way that they will get their rights is if the government enforces a quota for women representation in elected bodies.
"If not, women will never enter parliament," says Mozah Al Maliki one of the 1999 losers, adding, "We live in a society dominated by men."
In the 2003 municipal polls, 37.7 percent of the 24,125 registered voters took part. Qatar has an indigenous population of 174,000 out of a total of 750,000 inhabitants.
The Thani family has been dominant in Qatar - a peninsula bordering Saudi Arabia that is abundant in natural gas and oil - since the mid-1800s, and until now has retained absolute control over all aspects of government.
Qatar's support of democracy has made the emirate a close US ally, and Washington has applauded Qatar's moves toward democratization. The US military maintains a large base in Qatar and used the Gulf outpost during the 2003 war on Iraq.
Women have made some progress in other Gulf countries, most notably in Kuwait, where they were granted the right to vote and run in elections in 2005 and have clinched one cabinet post. The United Arab Emirates has two women ministers and in ultraconservative Saudi Arabia, three women won seats on business boards in the western and eastern regions of the kingdom.
http://www.metimes.com/articles/normal. ... 3340-7466r
Como tenho dito porque aqui; os diplomatas dos EUA não são tão burros como alguns dos seus intransigentes apoiantes quando se fala de médio oriente por aqui...
March 20, 2006
DOHA -- The first legislative elections in the history of the resource-rich Gulf emirate of Qatar are not due until early 2007 but women are already mobilizing to take part, encouraged by democratic reforms.
More than 120 women have signed up for a program intended to educate them about the electoral process and how to run and finance campaigns, the vice-president of the emirate's electoral commission, Sheikh Khaled Bin Jaber Al Thani, said.
"We are encouraging women to take part in the elections," he said.
In June 2005 Qatar adopted a constitution for the first time since independence from Britain in 1971, establishing democratic reforms in a country long ruled by an absolute monarchy. The constitution clears the way for the separation of executive, legislative and judicial branches and allows 45 members of parliament to be elected. The emir reserves the power to appoint the remaining 15 members.
The current members of the Shura (consultative) council, as parliament is known, are all appointed by the emir, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa.
The emir has advocated greater political openness since taking power after deposing his father in 1995.
The constitution confirms women's right to vote and run in polls as spelled out in a previous decree issued by the emir.
In the last municipal elections in 2003, only one woman candidate, Sheikha Al Jiffri, ran and won a seat. Many women had been discouraged by their experience in the previous election in 1999 when six ran and none won.
"I sense a strong will by women to live the electoral experience," Jiffri said, urging women "to knock down the wall of hesitation".
Sheikh Khaled said that he was convinced that women would be representative in the Shura council.
"I think women have overcome the shock of failure in 1999, more and more are showing interest in running in the elections," he said.
Women have made some headway in the conservative Muslim emirate over the past few years getting a cabinet post and heading several important institutions.
The emir's wife, Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Misned, is rumored to the true power behind the scenes and has taken a high profile role as the head of the Qatar Foundation, which is involved in several educational programs and East-West dialogue initiatives that have put the world spotlight on Doha.
But some women say that the only way that they will get their rights is if the government enforces a quota for women representation in elected bodies.
"If not, women will never enter parliament," says Mozah Al Maliki one of the 1999 losers, adding, "We live in a society dominated by men."
In the 2003 municipal polls, 37.7 percent of the 24,125 registered voters took part. Qatar has an indigenous population of 174,000 out of a total of 750,000 inhabitants.
The Thani family has been dominant in Qatar - a peninsula bordering Saudi Arabia that is abundant in natural gas and oil - since the mid-1800s, and until now has retained absolute control over all aspects of government.
Qatar's support of democracy has made the emirate a close US ally, and Washington has applauded Qatar's moves toward democratization. The US military maintains a large base in Qatar and used the Gulf outpost during the 2003 war on Iraq.
Women have made some progress in other Gulf countries, most notably in Kuwait, where they were granted the right to vote and run in elections in 2005 and have clinched one cabinet post. The United Arab Emirates has two women ministers and in ultraconservative Saudi Arabia, three women won seats on business boards in the western and eastern regions of the kingdom.
http://www.metimes.com/articles/normal. ... 3340-7466r
Como tenho dito porque aqui; os diplomatas dos EUA não são tão burros como alguns dos seus intransigentes apoiantes quando se fala de médio oriente por aqui...