Kuwaiti parliamentary election, February 2012
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Early general elections were held in Kuwait on 2 February 2012,[1] the country's second in a three-year period. However, on 20 June 2012 the elections were declared invalid by the Constitutional Court, as the dissolution of Parliament in December 2011 by Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was unconstitutional, and reinstates the former parliament.[2] In response, opposition MPs resigned from parliament and demanded a full parliamentary system.[3]
After the dissolution of parliament, a new election was set for December 2012.
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Background [edit]
Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dissolved the National Assembly of Kuwait on 7 December 2011 citing "deteriorating conditions" amid an increasingly bitter political showdown over alleged high-level corruption. Major street demonstrations, some with crowds numbering in the tens of thousands, had been occurring with greater and greater frequency, forcing the resignation of the government for the second time in less than a year.[4]
A group of former government parliamentarians sued to reverse the dissolution, stating that the act was unconstitutional.[5] In response the decree to set the date for the new election was delayed. The election was eventually set for the 21st of February. [1][citation needed]
Campaign [edit]
While operating within the Constitution of Kuwait, opposition candidates are demanding significant reforms, including a constitutional monarchy. Shiite candidate and ex-MP Hussein al-Qallaf accused the opposition[which?] of wanting to share power with the ruling family, which he said would lead Kuwait into a state of chaos.[6]
Candidates [edit]
There were 344 candidates, including 24 women, who ran in five constituencies with ten seats each.[7]
Opinion polls [edit]
According to some polls,[which?] the opposition may gain as many as 33 seats, up from the 20 seats they held before.[8]
Results [edit]
The Kuwait Times said that 34 of the 50 seats were won by opposition parties consisting of Sunni Islamists such as the Popular Action Bloc, Islamic Salafi Alliance, and Hadas.[9] The Associated Press said that 14 seats were won by the political grouping of "Islamists that share many views with groups such as Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood", and 20 seats by "tribal-based candidates".[10] All four incumbent women candidates lost their seats in a strongly anti-incumbent election.[9][10]
| formal or informal group | Seats | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Sunni Islamist (excluding Islamic Salafi Alliance and Hadas)[vague] | (13?)[11] | [9] |
| Popular Action Bloc | (13?)[11] | [9] |
| Shia[vague] | 7 | [9] |
| Pro-government Sunni[vague] | 5 | [9] |
| Islamic Salafi Alliance | 4 | [9] |
| Hadas (Islamic Constitutional Movement) | 4 | [9] |
| Liberals | 2 | [9] |
| Independent | 2? | |
| Total (turnout: >60%)[12] | 50 |
The biggest margin of victory in each constituency was led by:[13][14][15][16]
- Faisal al-Duwaisan with 14,094 votes.[which?]
- Jamaan al-Harbash (or Jama'an al-Hirbish) with 8,475 votes.[which?]
- Faisal al-Mislem al-Otaibi with 16,383 votes.
- Musallam al-Barrak.[which?]
- Falah al-Sawwagh.[which?]
References [edit]
- ^ a b "Amiri decree setting date for elections delayed". Arab Times. UK. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ Kuwait court voids election and reinstates parliament BBC News, 20 June 2012
- ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/22/kuwait-parliament-idUSL5E8HM3I320120622
- ^ "Kuwait emir dissolves parliament citing 'deteriorating conditions'". The National. Associated Press. 25 May 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ "Former MPs to challenge dissolution of Assembly". Kuwait Times. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ "Kuwait votes in polls hoping to end deadlock". English.alarabiya.net. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ "7 % women candidates for Kuwaiti parliament elections". WoMen Dialogue. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ Post a Job (1 February 2012). "Kuwait Election May Deepen Deadlock, Bolster Opposition". Businessweek. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Islamists reign as women lose out". Kuwait Times. 3 February 2012. Archived from the original on 3 February 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- ^ a b "Kuwait's Islamic bloc rides opposition surge in parliament elections". Strategic Culture Foundation. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
- ^ a b The 4 Feb Kuwait Times article gives 34 - (4+4) = 26 seats to Sunni Islamists and the Popular Action Bloc together. These are entered as 13 for each pending more information. An update is likely to be published at this IPU page (see the archive).
- ^ Sharaf, Nihal; Abubakar A. Ibrahim (2012-02-02). "New faces for opposition reset: Endemic disputes dull voter optimism". Archived from the original on 2012-02-03. Retrieved 2012-02-04.. One hour before polls closed, 238308/400296=59.53 percent, rounds to 60 percent.
- ^ "Justice Al-Khudhair announces 1st constituency winners". Kuwait News Agency. 2012-02-03. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
- ^ "Justice Al-Mutairat announces winners of parliamentary elections of 2ndconstituency". Kuwait News Agency. 2012-02-03. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
- ^ "List of Winners". Kuwait Times. 2012-02-03. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
- ^ "Ten candidates to represent 3rd constituency in National Assembly". Kuwait News Agency. 2012-02-03. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
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