Women get vote, seek office in Bahrain election

MANAMA, Bahrain -- Voters cast ballots Thursday in Bahrain's first election for representative bodies in nearly 30 years -- another step in the Gulf nation's transformation from absolute monarchy to democracy, and the first time Bahraini women were allowed to vote and run for office.

However, no women were elected to the 50 municipal seats up for grabs, said Bahrain's information minister. Of some 306 candidates, 30 were women.

In a region ruled mostly by autocrats, scenes of Bahrainis clamoring to cast votes were striking. Men and women waited in long, separate lines in keeping with the country's conservative Islamic traditions.

Male candidates won 28 of the 50 open seats, Justice Minister Sheik Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said today. The other 22 seats went to a runoff, which was to be held next week. There were no women who made it into those runoff races.

Officials said turnout was heavier than expected, but did not immediately release voter figures.