| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Majles Al-Ommah / National Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
26 November 2016 |
| Purpose of elections |
The opposition and their allies took 24 seats in elections to the 50-member National Assembly. Around half of the opposition candidates reportedly belonged to groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood or Salafists , many of whom had boycotted the previous elections in 2013 (see note). The number of members from the Shiite minority fell from eight to six. Only 20 members of the outgoing legislature were returned to the new parliament. One woman, Ms. Safaa Al-Hashem, was elected, making her the first woman in Kuwait to win three parliamentary elections. Turnout was high: Around 70 per cent of some 483,000 registered voters voted in 2016, up from 51.8% in the previous elections.
Elections were due by June 2017, but Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah dissolved the National Assembly in October 2016, stating that "security challenges " in the region could best be addressed by consulting the popular will. The early elections were held amid an economic downturn, triggered by lower oil prices. In September, the Cabinet approved economic reforms, including an increase to gasoline prices. During the election campaign, many candidates focused on policies related to health and education, and said they would oppose any austerity measures by the government.
Note:
Many Islamist and liberal candidates boycotted the 2013 elections due to a dispute over the electoral law, which they argued favoured pro-government candidates. However, some tribal groups and liberal candidates did participate in the elections.
|
Date of previous elections: 27 July 2013
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 16 October 2016
Timing of election: Early elections
Expected date of next elections: October 2020
Number of seats at stake: 50 (full renewal)
Number of candidates: 293 (279 men, 14 women)
Percentage of women candidates: 4.8%
Number of parties contesting the election: N/A (there are no political parties)
Number of parties winning seats: N/A
Alternation of power: N/A (monarchy)
Number of parties in government: N/A
Names of parties in government: N/A
Date of the first session of the new parliament: 11 December 2016
Name of the new Speaker: Mr. Marzouq Ali M. Al-Ghanim |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 26 November 2016 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
483'186
338'133 (69.98%)
|
|
Notes
|
Unofficial turnout figures. |
| Distribution of votes |
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
49
1
2.00%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
National Assembly (13.12.2016)
http://www.kuna.net.kw/
http://news.kuwaittimes.net/website/official-list-winners-2016-national-assembly-elections/
Kuna news agency website in English 0740 gmt 25 Nov 16
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/kuwait/al-hashem-sole-woman-victor-in-kuwait-polls-1.1935851
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/11/kuwait-poll-opposition-wins-parliament-161127060822207.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-kuwait-parliament-idUSKBN12G0JP
http://www.dailysabah.com/
http://www.electionguide.org/countries/id/116/ |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
