Kuwait polls: Opposition makes gains, gov’t resignation accepted

Kuwait’s opposition has taken nearly half of parliament’s seats in weekend polls amid calls for reforms over corruption and high debt, but the sole female legislator lost her seat.

Twenty-four of the National Assembly’s 50 seats were won by candidates belonging to or leaning towards the opposition, up from 16 in the last parliament, according to results announced on Sunday by the electoral commission on state TV.

But while 29 women ran for office in Saturday’s race, none were elected – a blow to the status of women who have fought hard over recent years for more representation in the oil-rich emirate, after winning the right to vote 15 years ago.

Nevertheless, the election of 30 candidates under the age of 45 sent a promising signal to youth hoping for change and reform.

Youth, Islamists, and tribes appear to be the predominant winners of Kuwait's 2020 parliamentary elections. The biggest losers are liberals and women. Having the most women candidates in history left no representation for women. A setback indeed.

— Dr. Dania Thafer (@Dr_DaniaThafer) December 6, 2020

The election, which takes place every four years, was overshadowed by COVID-19 and a consequent paring back of campaigns that in normal times draw thousands for lavish banquets and over-the-top events.

Five polling stations – one in each electoral district – were designated for those infected with the coronavirus.

The polls were the first since the new emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, took office in September following the death of his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, at the age of 91.

The country has the Gulf’s oldest elected parliament, but under the constitution, the emir has extensive powers and can dissolve the legislature at the recommendation of the government.

‘Big change’

Thirty-one new faces will enter the new parliament, results showed.

The Muslim Brotherhood-linked Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM) won three seats, while candidates from the Shia minority population won six.

As per protocol, Prime Minister Sabah Khalid al-Sabah submitted his government’s resignation to the emir, state news agency KUNA said.

Kuwait’s emir asked the cabinet to stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new government is appointed.

“There is a big change in the composition of the new National Assembly,” Kuwait analyst Ayed al-Manaa told AFP news agency.

“This an indication of the voters’ anger over the performance of the previous parliament and of their desire for change in economic, health [and] education,” he said.

Like most Gulf countries, Kuwait’s economy has been hit hard by the double whammy of the pandemic and the depressed price of oil.

Political parties are banned in Kuwait – ruled by the al-Sabah family for more than 250 years – which adopted a parliamentary system in 1962.

Many groups operate freely as de facto parties. The opposition coalition is made up of individuals, rather than well-defined parties with a distinct ideology.

While parliament has the power to vote the prime minister and cabinet members out of office, the Kuwaiti political set-up means change is not easy.

Power is concentrated in the royal family, with the emir choosing the prime minister and 15 of the 16 cabinet posts.