Women get four more seats in transitional council

The government of the Central African Republic (CAR) has granted women's organisations four more seats in the ruling National Transitional Council, government-run Radio Centrafrique reported. Speaking on Friday on the radio, government spokesman Zarambeaud Assingambi also announced that the government had increased the council's membership from 63 to 96, giving women's organisations six seats, from an initial two. When it becomes operational, the council will serve as legislative body during a transitional period that CAR leader Francois Bozize has said would last between 18 and 30 months, from March. Assingambi said that artists, the "patriots" (those who fought between October 2002 and March 2003 alongside Bozize), municipal police, national minorities, associations of pupils and parents, the diaspora and those who have retired were now represented in the expanded council. The number of council delegates from political parties was also increased from 12 to 15. After his coup on 15 March, which ousted President Ange-Felix Patasse, Bozize dissolved the national assembly and announced the creation of the council on 23 April. Besides being a legal advisory body comprising members from all political, social and religious leanings, the council is mandated to prepare for national dialogue that Patasse initiated in November 2002, draft a new constitution and prepare the country for elections at the end of the transitional period. The increase in the number of seats for women in the council follows their complaints that they were underrepresented in the transitional institutions that Bozize had established. The current 28-member government has two women. Bozize promised to consider the request for more seats in the council when he met officials of women's organisations in mid-April. Assingambi said that Bozize had asked all the organisations to choose their delegates to the council, "to avoid a deadlock ". So far, only the magistrates have nominated their two representatives to the council.