Women taste victory in civic polls

It was a red-letter day for Saudi women as at least 17 female candidates won municipal council seats in the Kingdom’s first-ever election open to them.

Abdullateef Abdulmalik Al-Asheikh, minister of municipal and rural affairs and chairman of the general committee for municipal elections, announced the results of the 3rd municipal elections.

He said 702,542 male and female voters forming 47.4 percent of the total registered voters participated in the elections in which 2,106 male and female candidates were declared winners.

Women won in different places that include: Makkah, Jeddah, Riyadh Qatif, Qasim, Hail, Al-Jouf, Al-Ahsa and Jazan.

In the Eastern Province, results showed the victory of three women candidates in the elections which took place on Saturday. From Qatif region, Khadra Al-Mubarak surprised many by polling the third highest votes in the region.

In a brief talk with a beaming Khadra said that it was not her victory alone but that of all women in Saudi Arabia. “I am a daughter of this country. The people have honored me by electing me to serve my motherland. I am proud of this honor,” she said.

A woman leaves a polling station after casting her vote during municipal elections, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 12, 2015. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser

Khadra assured her voters that she will untiringly work for the sustainable growth of Qatif region. “People have entrusted their trust in me and I must make sure that their trust is not betrayed.”

She said that she will canvas for transparency and proper communication between elected members, mayor and citizens.

Among other victorious women candidates from the Eastern Province were San’a Abdel Latif Hamam and Maasooma Abdel Mohsen Al-Rida in Al-Ahsa.

Salma Bint Hizab Al-Oteibi was elected to the council in Makkah. Election Commission President and Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar said Al-Oteibi won in an area called Madrakah, about 93 miles (150 kilometers) from the Holy City. She ran against seven men and two women in Saturday’s ballot, he added.

Another woman, Hanouf Bint Mufrih Bin Ayid Al-Hazmi, was elected in the northwestern region of Al-Jouf.

At least three women in Riyadh won council seats.

Saudi women vote at a polling center during the country’s municipal elections in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. (AP Photo/Aya Batrawy)

In Jeddah, two women won seats in what women refer to as “victory and history.” Lama Al-Sulaiman (also the first Saudi woman to be elected in the Jeddah chamber of commerce and industry elections) and Rasha Hifzi are to be among the 20 members of the Jeddah municipal council.

Rasha Hifzi said that competition was really touch. “We took it from the lion’s mouth,” she said.

Asked if she was expecting such a win she said that it was hard to predict victory.

Dr. Haifa al-Hababi, a candidate for Saudi municipal elections speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Women across Saudi Arabia marked a historic milestone on Saturday, both voting and running as candidates in government elections for the first time. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

She noted that the civil society has supported her campaign and added that they will work on strategic plans that they were working on before joining the council.

She added that they will follow the files of the city and raise the concern of its people. Hifzi added, “We hope that there would be more citizen participation.”

Mona Al-Emery and Fadhila Al-Attawy won in the northwestern region of Tabuk.

Women were excited with their first taste of democratic process and hoped that they will contribute to the growth and development of the country.

Aziza Abid, a school teacher, said, “The right to vote has instilled a self-belief in ourselves. Women are gradually getting more space in social spectrum and the day is not far when we will participate in decision making with our brothers under the patronage of Custodian of the two Holy Mosques.”

Umm Al- Khalid, a professor in urban planning, said that women’s participation in local bodies election reflected the changing behavior of Saudi society toward women.

“Today’s Saudi women are a force to reckon with,” she said, thanking Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for recognizing the potential of Saudi women and giving them an opportunity to be part of the decision making and nation building process.

Saleh Al-Humaidan, a prominent business management expert and former managing director of Al-Youm Group of publications, welcomed the decision to give voting rights to women. He hoped that they will prove their worth. “No doubt Saudi Arabia has opened a new chapter in women’s right,” he said.

At least one part of the country reported a female turnout exceeding 80 percent, according to official data. In the mountainous Baha region, in the Kingdom’s southwest, 946 women voted, according to the local election commission cited by SPA. With 1,146 women registered, that translated into an 82.5 percent turnout, data showed. Baha’s overall turnout for men and women combined was 51.5 percent, SPA said.

According to election commission data, nearly 1.5 million people aged 18 and over were registered for the polls.
This included about 119,000 women, out of a total native Saudi population of almost 21 million.

Rasha Hifzi said the competition was really tough. “We took it from the lion’s mouth,” she said.

She noted that the civil society has supported her campaign and added that they will work on strategic plans that they were working on before joining the council.

She added that they opt to follow the files of the city and raise the concern of its people. Hifzi added, “We hope that there would be more social participations and that citizen participate more by interacting with the municipal council.”