| Kuwait |
This article is part of the series: |
|
|
|
Other subjects
|
|
Other countries · Atlas |
An early parliamentary election was held in Kuwait on 17 May 2008 after the Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dissolved the National Assembly of Kuwait on 19 March 2008 over constant clashes between the government and the elected MPs.[1] The last elections were held less than two years previously and saw a loose alliance of reformists and Islamists gain almost two thirds of the seats.[2]
361,685 Kuwaitis were eligible to vote, more than half of them women; 27 of the 275 candidates were women.[3][4] None of the female candidates won.[5]
New rules introduced for this election have changed the 25 constituencies electing two to five electing 10. This was a demand of the reformist Kuwaiti Orange Movement, which led mass demonstrations in 2006, who believed the change would impede vote buying electoral frauds.[6]
A leading theme in the election was inflation, which hit a record high 9.5% four months before the election. Many candidates in the election proposed increased governmental subsidies to be funded by oil profits.[7]
| 2006 | 2008 | change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islamic Bloc (Sunni) (incl. Hadas) | 17 | 21 | +4 |
| Shia + Popular Action Bloc (opposition) |
9 | 9 | 0 |
| Liberals and allies | 8 | 7 | –1 |
| Independents (pro-government strong families and tribal members) | 16 | 13 | -3 |
| Total (turnout 80%) | 50 | 50 | — |
| Source: BBCArabic.com, Al Jazeera English | |||
|
||||||||