Qatar empower its men and women in first municipal elections today
In a first step of its kind since the independence of Qatar in 1971, Qataris who are of voting age will cast their votes to choose 29 members for the central municipal council out of some 227 candidates, including six women.
Chairman of the higher elections committee, Lt. Gen. Ghanem al-Hudeifi, who is also the secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, announced that preparations were completed for these elections in which some 22,000 Qataris will take part.
These elections are being held in Qatar for the first time, but the most notable event is that women in Qatar are taking part in these elections as both candidates and voters. Earlier in 1998 the ruler of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani, enacted a decree giving women the right to participate in the elections.
Among women to take part in the elections are Dr. Wadha al-Sweidi, who is a university professor; Dr. Fawzia al-Nueimi chairperson of the nursing school; Dr. Jeihan al-Mir from the University of Qatar; Mouza al-Malki, a teacher at the university of Qatar; Nasra al-Noubi, assistant nursing school director in al-Rumeila Hospital; and Nasya Carbon, a teacher.
It was noted on Sunday that the women candidates had strong participation. Five women candidates spoke on Qatari television in a program aired live and proposed their programs and views concerning several matters pertaining to the municipal council act.
It was crystal clear that the women candidates are working hard to win votes, especially as women constitute more than 40% of the total number of voters.
On the eve of the elections, Arab, Gulf and international parliamentary delegations met with the candidates for intellectual seminars organized in "tents," dealing with democratic issues and the election process.
The lobby of the Doha Sheraton hotel has become an election center and a meeting place between the candidates and European parliamentary and media delegations, especially from the US and France.
Wife of the ruler of Qatar, Sheikha Mouza al-Masnad, received visiting women parliament members.
The speaker of the Kuwaiti parliament, Ahmad al-Sadoun, visited one woman candidate in her house, whereas other women candidates opened their headquarters to receive guests and visitors in a step which reflects the active involvement of the women in Qatar in these elections.