Two women elected to Qatar municipal council

Two women won seats on Qatar's 29-member municipal council, the Gulf emirate's sole elected body, the elections committee said on Wednesday.

Sheikha al-Jafiri and Fatima al-Kuwari retained the seats they had won in 2015.

Five women were among the 85 candidates standing in Tuesday's election for the emirate-wide council. The other three failed to win seats.

"There was a large turnout by women and the number of female voters in my constituency exceeded the number of males, which indicates their political awareness," Sheikha al-Jafairi told AFP.

"I wish there were more women but I tell them do not despair and continue to fight." Qatar held its first municipal election in 1999.