KUN0134 4 GEN 0355 KUWAIT /KUNA-MMO5 POL-LD BELGIUM-KUWAIT-WOMEN Government, Parliament praise granting Kuwaiti women political rights By Bashar Khraibet BRUSSELS, May 17 (KUNA) -- The Government and Parliament of Belgium hailed on Tuesday the Kuwaiti National Assemblys historic decision to grant women full political rights, voting and nominating in legislative polls. The spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Ministry Rudy Huygelen said in an exclusive statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the decision was an important step forward in the march of democracy. He said the decision should lead to more gender equality, adding that Belgium hopes that Kuwait would serve as an example for other countries to follow. Belgium likes to congratulate the people of Kuwait on this important step forward, Huygelen said, adding that Kuwait has always been a pioneer in the region. The Belgian Parliament labeled as "historic" the decision of the Kuwaiti Parliament to grant women their political rights. The commissioner for gender equality in the Belgian parliament Colette Burgeon said in an exclusive statement to (KUNA) that the decision of the parliament did not surprise her because she knew that the Kuwaiti constitution is one of the "leading constitutions in the region in regards to gender equality." She said that from her reading of the Kuwaiti constitution, "what manifested yesterday was in an implementation of articles of the constitution." The parliament in Kuwait approved with a majority yesterday to grant women political rights to enable them vote and run in parliamentary elections in 2007. Burgeon said that the Belgian women have gone through the same experience of their Kuwaiti counterpart, as it took more than 30 years for the Belgian women to obtain their political rights after the males in Belgium were allowed to vote. Women in Belgium received their political rights in 1949. She said that the matter should not be taken lightly adding that "it is time now for the Kuwaiti women to show their true colors and be active in the decision-making process." (end) bk.bs.rk