Kuwait's parliament agrees to discuss giving women political rights

The Kuwaiti Ummah council ( parliament) on Monday approved the request of the government to speed up considering to the draft law that provides for offering women the right to vote and be a candidate in the elections. But it did not specify a date for discussing the government proposal.

The council submitted the draft law to a specialized committee to study the project which was proposed to the government before it is put before the members for discussions. The minister of state for the cabinet affairs Muhammad Sharar said that the government will coordinate with the committee to specify a date to discuss the draft law which raises vast controversy between supporters and opposers.

The government showed confidence that the project will get the approval at the nation's council. He said that the prime minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah said in his talks to members of the council "I know that the majority will support woman's rights." The coordinator of the Islamic bloc at the council Fahd al-Khinna said that the bloc issued a statement opposing offering woman the right to vote and to be a candidate in the elections.

On the reasons of rejection, the parliamentarian explained that some parliamentarians relate that to the legal side which does not see any right for the woman to public posts, while others consider that current conditions are not appropriate for women to assume political posts.