Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ap)-Saudi Arabia's king abdullah, think of his own extreme conservative kingdom standard on Sunday ordered, reformers, women will have voting rights for the first time, and in the local elections expires in 2015 running.
It is a "Saudi spring" sort.
For the ethnic women, this is a huge leap, but they still cannot be a cabinet minister, drive or travel abroad without a male guardian's permission.
Saudi women bear the brunt of their countries very conservative values, often find their own kingdom into the religious police, who perform a islamic law of streets and public places like market and university campus rigid interpretation of unnecessary focus of attention.
Sunday to give women the right to vote in municipal elections and run in and of itself, not enough to meet the kingdom of women more and more ambition who, after the DuoNian education and vocational training costly state spending, and improve their status, but can't ensure that their fellow man in the same place in society.
Women have to wait four years to exercise their voting rights for new, increased fails, because announced on Sunday, has been for a long time-and the future of the local elections scheduled for this Thursday.
"Why not tomorrow?" Q prominent Saudi feminist Wajeha AL-Hawaidar. "I think the king and don't want to shake country, but we look forward to in our side, we think this is a shame... when we still wondering how to meet the simple the rights of women."
But king abdullah announced his consulting congress, or consultative conference of the year before the speech. This is the largest religion he and clergy, kingdoms the opinions of the big weight after consultation.
It is an attempt in "Saudi Arabia type" reform act, avoid confront powerful clergy and conservative section of the population. In addition, it seems to be the king's drive from other Arab countries across the unrest, people's uprising and overthrowing the regime, once looked at their safety, his vast oil resources, rich part of a country.
At home, the king in fear of unrest march announced a staggering $93 billion package, incentive, work and service to ease some of the Saudi people experience difficulty. In the meantime, he helped neighbor and close ally bahrain, to help this small country of the ruling family, crushing sunni equal rights and profound reform of the most urgent Shiite uprising.
By contrast, in August king abdullah, Saudi ambassador to withdraw Syria to protest President bashar al assad in seven months of uprising, his to step down and to establish a democratic government's harsh crackdown.
Saudi activists poem, ministry of education, the card tower, those employees defied ban, said: "" we don't ask political and we demand that our basic rights, we ask our as equal citizens treatment and remove male care earlier this year of women driving. "We need to solve many of the problems."
The United States, Saudi Arabia's closest ally, praise the king of western act.
In Washington, the U.S. national security council spokesman tommy Vietor said, it recognizes that "significant contribution" women in Saudi Arabia. He went on to say that the move to Saudi Arabia, women more participation way "decision, will affect their lives and communities."
The king, in his own speech, seems to admit, the Arab world's change of season and more social freedom of look forward to the Saudi society's long, take decisive action.
"A balanced modernization, this in our islamic values waterfalls, is an important demand, in a time, there is no failure, or the place of the doubts," he said.
, "the king said," Muslim women in the islamic history has shown that express the correct position, comments and Suggestions.
Abdullah became a national in fact, the ruler of the in 1995, due to the condition of the king fahd, and in August 2005 after the formal the throne, fahd's death.
The king also announced on Sunday, women will be appointed consultative committee was established in 1993 to provide kingdom of lawyers and general policy debate economic and social development plans, and with other agreement signed between kingdoms, currently all the male body countries.
In Saudi Arabia women's rights is a sensitive one. In a country has no social or political power is strong enough to affect the change of women's rights, this is the king to do this. Even so, the king must find consensus, he needs in this before a direction step of the way.
Famous columnist acquire Khashoggi said to give women the right to vote in local elections and must be included in the committee, means that they will national legislation and administrative departments of the part. Win drives and travel no male guardians of licenses, is only the next move.
"It will be strange is, women enjoy as a security council members of parliament must not be driving his immunity of the car or travel," he said. "Climate change is more suitable for the history of moral pressure,, and on our side of the change of power."




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