Sabah al-Ahmad government: woman's rights is beginning of al-Islah fight

It can be said that the prime minister of the new Kuwaiti government Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah has fired the spark of the first battle for reform (islah) he intends to wage before the 10th parliament. This, however, does not means it is the only fight.

After Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad had surprised many men and women, when his speech during the inauguration of the works of the parliament on Saturday lacked any indication to the political rights issue for the Kuwaiti women, he in the second day was careful to confirm "for our women in Kuwait, the woman is our objective in the next meetings and we will adopt this issue."

However, giving the issue of woman its due interest of political and social struggle by the side of the government, especially from Sabah al-Ahmad, has many implications, and the main of which that Sabah al-Ahmad has realized fully the political map in the parliament and the nature of the formation of the Kuwaiti parliament. He also knows well that his battle might be lost if it will not be rum carefully, especially as there is a considerable trend inside and outside the parliament of Islamists and tribal people who oppose the liberation of the Kuwaiti women, politically.

However, this did not prevent him from saying after the government's meeting yesterday "that the government will once again propose a draft project on amending the elections law for permitting woman to practice the right to vote and be a candidate." Sabah al- Ahmad has realized also that Kuwait should not be backward from her Gulf women sisters especially as Kuwait had preceded them democratically.