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Kuwait: Royal Family Female Asked to Withdraw Legislative Elections Nomination | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Kuwait, Asharq Al-Awsat- Sheikha Fawziyah Salim al-Muhammad Al Sabah (the first woman from the royal family to be a candidate at an election) says she has decided to withdraw her nomination as a candidate in the upcoming Kuwaiti parliamentarian elections following a request from the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

The Minister of the Royal Court conveyed the request to here, that she should give other Kuwaitis the opportunity to participate.

Moreover, the fatwa issued by the dean of the Shariaa department at Kuwait University, Dr Muhammad al-Tabtaba’i, regarding married women’s right to vote and choose candidates has angered a number of female candidates. In his fatwa, Tabtaba’i says that the vote of a married woman must be in line with her husband’s wishes and that regardless if she wants to vote for a candidate of her own choice.

Dr Al-Tabtaba’i also stressed that if a husband conditionally renounce the marriage until the wife votes for a candidate of his choice, then the divorce will become absolute if the wife decides to vote for a candidate of her own choice, even if she keeps her vote a secret and fails to inform the husband.