| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Majles Al-Ommah / National Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
27 July 2013 |
| Purpose of elections |
The 2013 election returned eight members of the Shiite minority (down from 17), three liberals (up from none), seven Sunni Islamists (up from five), and 24 members from tribal groups (unchanged). Two women were elected, down from three.
This was the third snap election in 17 months and followed the Constitutional Court's June 2013 decision ordering the dissolution, on procedural grounds, of the legislature elected in December 2012. The Court upheld the 2012 amendments to the electoral law reducing the number of votes per eligible voter from four to one. The amendments had triggered an opposition boycott in the December 2012 election.
While some opposition figures again boycotted the 2013 election - they believe the electoral law favours pro-government candidates - many tribal groups and liberal candidates participated. Most candidates focused on local issues such as employment, housing, health care and education.
On 28 July, the Emir re-appointed Sheikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Sabah as Prime Minister, tasking him with forming a new Cabinet, the thirteenth in seven years. |
Date of previous elections: 1 December 2012
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 16 June 2013
Timing of election: Early elections
Expected date of next elections: July 2017
Number of seats at stake: 50 (full renewal)
Number of candidates: 329 (321 men, 8 women)
Percentage of women candidates: 2.4%
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: 6 August 2013
Name of the new Speaker: Mr. Marzouq Ali M. Al-Ghanim |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 27 July 2013 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
439'911
228'314 (51.9%)
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
48
2
4.00%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
National Assembly (07.08.2013, 18.05.2014)
http://www.idea.int/vt/countryview.cfm?id=124
Note on the number of women:
- Two women were directly elected in the July 2013 elections. The 16-member Cabinet comprises two women. As Cabinet members (including one MP) sit in parliament ex officio, there are four women out of 65 members.
- Following petitions against the parliamentary election results, on 23 December 2013, the Constitutional Court cancelled the election of two MPs, including one woman, thereby reducing the number of women to three out of 65 members.
- A new Cabinet formed in January 2014 comprised only one woman, reducing the total number of women to two out of 65 members.
- On 15 May 2014, the National Assembly accepted the resignation of five members, including the sole woman member.
- No women were elected in the by-elections held on 26 June 2014. The National Assembly thus comprised only one woman (Cabinet member) out of 65 members. |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
