Two women victorious in CMC election

DOHA: Two women, including a sitting member, have made it to the 29-member Central Municipal Council (CMC) in the election that was held yesterday to its fifth term (2015-2019).

Sheikha Al Jefairi, from Old Airport neighbourhood of Doha, was the lone woman CMC member for 12 years (for three terms of the CMC of four years each beginning 2003).

She retained her seat from her re-demarcated, bastion constituency (Number 8) polling 852 of the 1,340 votes cast, returning to the CMC for a record fourth time.

She will be joined in the House by another female victor this time — Fatima Al Kuwari, who won with a narrow margin of 40 votes from Constituency Number 9 (Al Thumama 46/47 and Mesaimeer).

Al Kuwari polled 160 votes while her male rival bagged 120. The total number of registered votes in her constituency was 450. Three other women contesting from separate constituencies lost.

It is interesting to note that Al Kuwari unsuccessfully fought the 2011 CMC election against Sheikha Al Jefairi from Old Airport area. She switched her ward this time after the re-demarcation of constituencies and won.

Elections were held in 26 of the 29 CMC wards as three of these had lone candidates who were elected unopposed.

Besides these three and Sheikha Al Jefairi, many other sitting members of the CMC who were seeking re-election emerged victorious in yesterday’s election including Mubarak Fraish, from Al Gharrafa (Constituency No 15).

The other victorious sitting members were Mohamed Al Shafi, Mansoor Al Khater from Constituency 20 and Mohamed Salem Al Marri, from Constituency 5 (Al Meraikh).

Al Meraikh witnessed a large 77 percent voter turnout and a highlight was that out of 673 registered voters here, 518 turned up to cast their ballot and 330 were women and only 188 men.

As soon as he was declared the winner, Al Marri told reporters he would begin working for further development of his ward and welfare of his constituents right away.

From New Al Rayyan, Mohamed Hamoud Al Shafi also created a record by returning to the CMC for the fourth time in a row. He polled 461 votes while his nearest rival bagged 176 votes.

Head of Constituency poll committee in ward number 8 in Maimoona Independent School for Girls in Al Mansoora, Judge Ghanem Rashid Al Khayarin, said he was satisfied with the voter turnout. It was large, he said.

The results were not announced officially until after 11.30 as some recounting had taken place in some constituencies and hence the announcement was delayed.

The above was based on preliminary results announced unofficially. Voter turnout was about 70 percent in the overall election as out of a total of 21,014 registered voters, 14,509 exercised their right to franchise.

Constituency number 26 witnessed the largest turnout of 84 percent while the lowest turnout of 59 percent was recorded in constituency number 18.