EXPLAINER
A fight between the government and parliament has led to multiple dissolutions and elections in recent months.
Kuwait is holding its second parliamentary election in a year, a snap election called amid its ongoing political crisis that has seen parliament reshuffled numerous times in recent months.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming election:
What is the political structure of Kuwait?
Kuwait has a monarch from the ruling al-Sabah family, Emir Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, but his paternal brother, Crown Prince Sheikh Meshaal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, has recently assumed a higher position. paper The emir holds the most powerful position in the country and appoints the prime minister who in turn appoints the cabinet. The prime minister of the country is Sheikh Ahmad al-Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, son of the current emir. The country’s 65-seat National Assembly has more influence than in other Gulf monarchies, sometimes challenging the executive branch. Fifty seats in Parliament are up for grabs in the next election. The remaining 15 are appointed by the emir. Political parties have not been legalized in Kuwait, so candidates run as independents.
When are the parliamentary elections?
On June 6, the elections are held to elect 50 representatives to the National Assembly. It will be Kuwait’s third election in three years; it is the 10th since 2006. This time, there are 207 candidates, a minimum in 10 years, according to the local newspaper al-Jarida.
When were the last parliamentary elections?
The last elections were held in September 2022 in which the opposition made significant gains. The election was held after the government dissolved the 2020 parliament in August 2022, in a bid to end the ongoing dispute between the government and the elected parliament that has hampered tax reforms.
What happened to that parliament?
Kuwait’s Constitutional Court annulled the September 2022 to March 2023 elections and restored the previous 2020 assembly. However, on May 1, the Crown Prince dissolved the reinstated 2020 assembly. The June 6 election is being held because, according to Kuwait’s constitution, elections for a new parliament must be held within two months of the date of dissolution.
Kuwaiti MPs attend a session in Kuwait City, April 4, 2023 [Yasser al-Zayyat/AFP]
Why has parliament been in disarray, causing so many elections?
The government and the elected parliament have been at loggerheads over a controversial bill that proposes the government take over the personal and consumer loans of Kuwaiti citizens. The government says the move would be too expensive, costing nearly $46 billion in public funds. MPs argue it would cost much less, less than $6.5 billion.
What has been the impact of the country’s political stagnation?
The ongoing rift between elected lawmakers and an appointed cabinet has led to a decline in social services such as health and education. Despite having one of the world’s largest oil reserves and a strong fiscal and external balance sheet, the turmoil has stalled much-needed investment and reforms.
Why was the last election hopeful for many?
Kuwaiti citizenship, of which there are about 750,000 registered voters (2022 estimate) out of a population of one million, according to a 2023 report estimation, was propelled to the polls by a royal promise that Kuwait would enter a new era. The election also resulted in a majority opposition presence, with a number of establishment politicians rejected. It also saw the return of women, absent since 2020, to parliament with the election of two female deputies, Jinan Boushehri and Alia al-Khaled, in an election where some 22 women ran among 305 candidates.
What is the state of human rights and representation of women in Kuwaiti politics?
Women make up 51.2 percent of registered voters and won the right to vote in 2005. Since the Constitutional Court annulled the September 2022 election in March, parliament has been only men Women’s human rights issues such as inheritance and property persist. There are several women among the 207 candidates running in the June 6 elections.
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