BEARDING THE LIONS:

Kuwaiti woman's campaign: Ayesha Al-Reshaid bids for parliament as women vote in their first national election (Jamie Etheridge, 6/30/06, The Christian Science Monitor)

Dominated by former member of parliament (MP) Waleed Tabtabae - infamous for his opposition to women's rights, public dancing, and women wearing shorts during sports matches - Keifan is a conservative stronghold where most of the women wear the body-length abaya, hijab (head scarf), and the face-covering niqab.

Armed with a broad winning smile, Ms. Reshaid - one of 28 female candidates among 253 hopefuls - says that she chose to take on the Islamists directly because "I'm very competitive and this area [Keifan] is very difficult. If I succeed, then that success will be that much more special."

Is Pakistan ready for democracy in '07?: Secretary of State Rice's visit put the spotlight on the regime's efforts to reform local government. (David Montero, 6/30/06, The Christian Science Monitor)

In a visit as short as it was secretive, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice swept through Islamabad this week with a firm reminder for President Gen. Pervez Musharraf: Ensure free and fair elections in 2007. [...]

Nearly two years after seizing power in a bloodless coup, Musharraf implemented a Devolution of Power Plan in 2001, heralding it as a new era of democratic reform. Elected governments at the district and subdistrict level were to provide greater autonomy from the center, greater access to public officials, and empowerment of marginalized groups such as women and the poor. Since its implementation, local governments in 101 districts have been voted into office, each headed by an elected official known as a nazim, or mayor.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 29, 2006 6:38 PM