Kuwait: women voting issue gains supporters

Women in Kuwait have advanced one step forward in getting the right to vote in elections. This is after the Islamists parliamentarians in the parliament -- who used to oppose any political participation for women -- have changed their position.

However, the middle solution reached by the Islamists parliamentarians, who enjoy a great influence in the parliament, do not include accepting the most controversial part of the government's proposal which permits women also to nominate themselves for political positions.

Parliamentarian Nasser al-Sane' who used to oppose granting women the right to vote said that the Islamists parliamentarians will support the right of women to vote. He said he dropped his objection after he concluded that voting women in the elections does not violate the Sharia.

He said that the case was re-considered and the parliamentarians realized that the reason behind not permitting women to vote is greatly linked to tradition rather than the Sharia, and therefore they decided to support voting but with some restrictions.

However, the Islamist parliamentarian Walid al-Tabtabai' explained that his bloc will approve giving women the right to vote but will unanimously reject nominating women in the elections. He urged the government to make a distinction between the two issues. He added that Islam does not permit women to assume a political post.