17 women win civic polls in Saudi Arabia

Election was the first in which women could vote and run as candidates.

Update: 2015-12-14 05:33 GMT
Dr. Haifa al-Hababi, a candidate for Saudi municipal elections speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Women across Saudi Arabia marked a historic milestone on Saturday, both voting and running as candidates in

Riyadh: Saudi Arabians voted 17 women into public office in municipal elections in the conservative Islamic kingdom on Saturday, the first to allow female participation, a state-aligned news site reported on Sunday before all official results were announced.

The election was the first in which women could vote and run as candidates, a landmark step in a country where women are barred from driving and are legally dependent on a male relative to approve almost all their major life decisions.

Sabq.org, a news website affiliated with the autocratic monarchy’s Interior Ministry, reported that a total of 17 women had been elected in various parts of the country. Some results had been announced on the official Saudi Press Agency, including the victories of four women.

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