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By Haro Chakmakjian MUSCAT (AFP) - With 21 women candidates standing for office in a new test of the democratic process, Omanis voted for a new advisory council on Thursday in the Gulf sultanate's first direct polls.
At Chamsa al-Khalili school in Old Muscat, men and women queued separately in orderly lines, the men in white dishdasha robes and turbans, the women headscarves and in black. Voters filled in their names and signed or added a fingerprint as well as writing down the name of their choice, which in the case of the illiterate was done by an election official. "Who says there is no democracy in this country just because nobody goes around carrying banners? We have started slowly and it has to be done in a stable manner," said Barka al-Bakri, a hospital human resources manager, after casting her vote. Bakri said she helped her candidate running in Al-Ghubra, near Muscat, education ministry planning director Rahila al-Riyami, ensure that people registered and turned out to vote. "I've told all my friends that she's the best candidate because she's been promoting education for the past 18 years," said 21-year-old medical student Marwa al-Riyami, a niece of the candidate. After a morning rush and uninterrupted flow at several polling stations, voting eased off in the afternoon heat. An expanded electoral college of about 114,000, compared to only 51,000 in the last ballot of 1997, was electing a new 83-seat Majlis al-Shura, or consultative council. The 21 women candidates were among a field of 550 runners, while the conservative Muslim state's veteran ruler, Sultan Qaboos, appoints a president of the council. Apart from widening the voter base in Oman, where only about 600,000 of the 1.6 million people eligible are over the voting age of 21, a 30% share of participation was this time fixed for women. Tribal and community leaders continue to appoint the Electoral College for the ballot, which last time produced a turnout of almost 90%. But because of a low initial registration, other voters were allowed to add their names to the list. "The problem is the Majlis showed in the last term that it doesn't have teeth and that could explain why people haven't bothered to register," a western diplomat said. A rarity in the Gulf Arab monarchies, women were given the vote in Oman in 1994 but won only two seats in each of the past two elections to the consultative council, which has a three-year mandate. "The number of women elected this time will be seen as a litmus test of development in Oman, as well as the number of educated candidates who win rather than tribal figures," the diplomat said. Each of the 59 constituencies elects its members to the council, whereas in the past the government had the final say by choosing from the candidates who won the most votes. Omani officials have defended the slow process of democratization. "A 1,000-mile journey starts with a single pace," said the interior ministry undersecretary, Mohammad bin Sultan al-Bussaidi. The council was founded in 1991 amid political reforms in the region's Arab monarchies after the Gulf War over Kuwait. It has no say on defense, internal security or foreign policy, nor the power to block proposed legislation, only an advisory role, mainly on the economy, and the right to question ministers. In the past three elections, tribal sheikhs have been the big winners, some of them only semi-literate, at the expense of more qualified candidates. Official results are due in Friday. |
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