Saudi women to be given right to vote

Risingbd Desk: Saudi Arabian women will be able to vote and run for office in their municipal elections for the first time in the country`s history.

Safinaz Abu al-Shamat and Jamal al-Saadi made history last Sunday by becoming the first Saudi women to register to vote.

The new policy is being put into effect on schedule, four years after the late Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud approved the rules change in 2011.

According to local media, an estimated 70 women are looking to run as candidates, while another 80 have registered as campaign managers. The elections are scheduled to take place in December.

Municipal councils prepare a municipality’s budget, set taxes and supervise local financial transactions, among other responsibilities.

Source: Agencies

risingbd/ Dhaka/ Aug 21, 2015/ Nasim/ Mahfuz