Kuwait stops women from taking part in elections
KuwaitÂ’s conservative Parliament blocked a measure that would have allowed women to participate in the city council elections for the first time.
The New York Times reports the elections have been called for June 2. The action eliminates any chance that women will be able to take part in elections for another four years, when city council seats are again up for grabs. The legislation initially was passed by Kuwait\'s 64-member National Assembly on April 19, but in accordance with Kuwaiti law faced a second vote for ratification last week. But Parliament ended in deadlock when 29 members abstained and only 29 voted for it, leaving the legislation just shy of the 33 votes needed. Winning the right for women to run for office there was seen as a first step in gaining the right to run for Parliament. Full report in The New York Times