Business & Money | Tuesday 20 January, 2015 10:26 am |

The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs has announced that women would have separate administrative offices, rest areas and entry points to joint meetings with their men colleagues on the country’s newly elected municipal councils.
Prince Mansour bin Miteb, the minister, has ordered the country’s local government officials to prepare for the new arrangements. The upcoming elections will see women participate for the first time as candidates and voters.

The elections this year, third since 2005, will see citizens vote for members of 285 municipal councils at 855 election centers across the country.
In a circular, the minister said that the ministry is currently preparing a study to redesign municipal headquarters to ensure they can cater to women participants.
Last July, the Council of Ministers passed a law on women’s participation in municipal elections and councils. The law allows councils to approve and implement municipal plans and projects and oversee maintenance work and investment projects.

According to the law, the minister of municipal and rural affairs would determine the size and make-up of the councils. They should not exceed 30 members, with two-thirds elected and a third appointed by the minister.

The law gives men and women the right to stand as candidates, vote and nominate others. It grants independent, nongovernmental and nonprofit establishments and charities the right to observe election procedures.

Prince Mansour has set up a high-level committee, including three leading women, to oversee the election. He also set up an executive committee under the chairmanship of Jedaie bin Nahar Al-Qahtani, director general of municipal council affairs, to support the general committee in managing the elections.