General elections were held in Kuwait on 29 September 2022 following the dissolution of parliament by Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.[1] However, the results were annulled by the Constitutional Court on 19 March 2023 after judges ruled that the previous parliament had not been dissolved properly.[2]
 | ||
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50 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly | ||
| Turnout | 63.30% ( 6.32pp) | |
|---|---|---|
Background
editOn 22 June Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah announced the dissolution of Parliament.[3] On 28 August, the Kuwaiti Cabinet approved the decree calling for elections on 29 September.[4]
Electoral system
editThe 50 elected members of the National Assembly are elected from five 10-seat constituencies by single non-transferable vote.[5] Political parties are not officially licensed, therefore candidates run as individuals, although many political groups operate freely as de facto political parties.[6] All Kuwaiti citizens (both male and female) above the age of 21 have the right to vote.
Candidates
editRegistration of candidates contesting the 50 seats took place between 29 August and 7 September 2022.[7] 118 schools were used for the 2022 National Assembly elections on 29 September.[8] A total of 305 candidates, including 22 women, were registered.[9]
While the previous elections in 2020 were affected by anti-coronavirus measures, this time candidates were able to open electoral offices and hold live hustings. Security services stepped up their monitoring of vote buying.[10]
Results
editTurnout was 63.30 % with 503,811 voters for a total of 795,911 registered voters.[11] Opposition politicians were reported to have made significant gains.[12] Islamists, including many affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, established themselves in parliament, while Shi’ites displaced palace-aligned Sunni candidates. Many reformist candidates, including two women, also won seats.[13]
Elected members
editAftermath
editOn 18 October 2022 Ahmed Al-Sadoun was elected as Speaker of the National Assembly unopposed. However on 19 March 2023 the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of reinstating the previous parliament elected in 2020, citing discrepancies in the decree dissolving the previous parliament.[2] In May crown prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dissolved Parliament and called for election on 6 June 2023.
References
edit- ^ Hagagy, Ahmed (2022-06-22). "Kuwait crown prince dissolves parliament, calls for early election". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
- ^ a b "Kuwait court annuls 2022 parliamentary election". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
- ^ "Kuwait Crown Prince announces Parliament dissolution in coming months". KUNA.
- ^ "الكويت تحدد موعد انتخابات مجلس الأمة الجديد". Al Jazeera (in Arabic).
- ^ Electoral system Inter-Parliamentary Union
- ^ "Kuwait polls: Opposition makes gains, gov't resignation accepted". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
- ^ ""الداخلية" تحدد شروط الترشيح وكيفية تقديم الطلبات". Al Rain Media (in Arabic). 28 August 2022.
- ^ "«أمة 2022».. 759 لجنة انتخابية موزعة على 118 مدرسة". Al Jarida (in Arabic). 5 September 2022.
- ^ "Kuwait heads to polls in second legislative election in two years". Al Jazeera.
- ^ "Candidates welcome arrest of candidate over vote-buying". Kuwait Times. 17 September 2022.
- ^ "Parline"..
- ^ "Kuwait PM submits resignation of cabinet in tussle with parliament". Reuters. 2023-01-23. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ Hagagy, Ahmed (2022-10-25). "Kuwaiti opposition wins big in election, standoff with government to endure". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-01-24.