January 03, 2005

Saudi Women Will Be Allowed to Vote in '09

Former Saudi female candidates for the upcoming municipal elections had varied responses after a senior election official yesterday said that women would be allowed to vote in 2009.

Prince Mansour ibn Miteb, chairman of the General Committee for Municipal Elections, explained that the only reason women were not allowed to vote in this round was because municipal elections are a new experience and the short time given to prepare for them made it impossible to allow women’s participation this time.

I'll believe this when one of the Clown Princes says it will be so.
And, of course, even given the right to vote, these poor ladies will still have to be driven and accompanied to the polls by a man, either their husband or their closest living male relative because driving and going somewhere alone is forbidden to women in Soddy Arabia.
It does sound as if voting fever is spreading from next-door neighbor Iraq, though, and also due to America's initiative to bring democracy and its institutions to the Middle East!