Focus on businesswomen in JCCI poll

Focus on businesswomen in JCCI poll Galal Fakkar | Arab News

JEDDAH: Elections for four-year terms on the new board of directors of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) were held Saturday in the towns of Rabigh, Laith and Qunfuda. The three constituencies account for about 10 percent of the chamber's entire membership of some 40,000. Businesswomen in Jeddah who are members of the chamber will cast their votes on Sunday. Male members will vote for three days beginning Monday. A total of 62 candidates, including 50 traders, 12 industrialists and seven women, are competing for 12 of the 18 seats. Six members will be appointed by the minister of commerce and industry. Observers described the election atmosphere in the three towns as "calm" and said the voting was taking place amid promises from the contestants to support businesswomen, young businessmen and small and medium enterprises (SME). The elections are expected to attract a number of eligible voters since the old system of lists has been changed into a one-man-one-vote system. Competition has been fierce among candidates who were keen to present their platforms to voters during the campaign. Observers described some programs as "theoretical" which were felt to be unrealistic and others as "rational" which had more achievable aims. "Most of the platforms were similar. They all focused on the same issues: supporting businesswomen and ensuring them a proper atmosphere, supporting young businessmen and supporting SMEs. Ali Barshaid, the owner of an SME, described most of the programs as "impractical" and said this was because many of the candidates lacked experience in the work of the chamber and had no idea about the problems businessmen faced. Ali Hassan Nagoor, a candidate, said many of those running were new faces not known to the business community in Jeddah. Abdullah Dahlan, another candidate, said the large number of candidates would divide the voters and not be conducive to a good election process. "Many of the candidates have no clear-cut election platforms while the JCCI, one of the most important chambers in the Middle East, needs new and creative ideas," he said.