Kuwait lawmakers challenge appointment of first female cabinet member News
Kuwait lawmakers challenge appointment of first female cabinet member

[JURIST] Ten Kuwaiti legislators signed a request Tuesday to put Sunday's appointment [AP report] of Massouma al-Mubarak as the first female Cabinet minister in Kuwait up for debate in parliament, claiming it to be unconstitutional [AP report]. The move comes a month after Kuwait granted women the right to vote and run for office [JURIST report]. The legislators claim that Kuwaiti law limits appointments to eligible voters, and that al-Mubarak is not currently registered as the extended franchise is not yet in effect. Al-Mubarak said constitutional scholars had already ruled registration was not a requirement and accused the legistlators of looking for any reason to exclude her. Her appointment had pleased activists [AKI report] but riled conservatives.