No female candidates elected in Qatar's Shura Council ballot

Preliminary results show that voters selected none of the 26 women who stood

A man casts his ballot at a polling station in the northern coastal city of Al Khor, Qatar AFP

Voters line up at a polling station in Qatar's first legislative elections for two-thirds of the advisory Shura Council. Reuters

Voters line up at a polling station in Qatar's first legislative elections for two-thirds of the advisory Shura Council. AFP

The remaining 15 seats will be appointed by the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. AFP

Qatari men cast their ballots at a polling station in Al Khor. AFP

Qatari women arrive to cast their votes. Reuters

A Qatari man receives his ballot paper in Doha. Reuters

Qatari men cast their votes. Reuters

Men vote in legislative elections in Qatar. AP Photo

An official stamps a ballot paper. Reuters

Qataris voted on Saturday in the country's first legislative elections to choose two-thirds of its advisory Shura Council.

The vote was for 30 members of the 45-seat body. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, the Emir of Qatar, will appoint the remaining 15 members.

The council will have legislative authority and approve general state policies and the budget, but has no say in other areas, such as defence and security.

Preliminary results show that none of the 26 women who stood were elected, out of an initial field of 233 candidates across 30 districts. Withdrawals had earlier thinned that total to 183 candidates seeking election by Saturday.

“Where candidates realised that they had no shot to win a seat, they decided to endorse other candidates,” Andreas Krieg, an associate professor at King's College London, told AFP.

Average turnout was 44.3 per cent in the 29 constituencies that had more than one candidate, state TV reported.

Campaigning took place on social media and at community meetings.

Qataris number about 333,000, but only descendants of those who were citizens in 1930 were eligible to vote or stand.