2016 Kuwaiti general election
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All 65 seats to the National Assembly (Kuwait) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Constitution |
 Kuwait portal |
Early general elections were held in Kuwait on 26 November 2016. They follow the dissolution of the parliament elected in 2013 by Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in October 2016.[1] Under the constitution, elections must be held within two months.[2] Opposition candidates won 24 of the 50 seats in the National Assembly.[3] Voter turnout was around 70 percent.[3]
Electoral system
The 50 elected members of the National Assembly were elected from five 10-seat constituencies by single non-transferable vote.[4]
Results
Opposition Salafist and the Muslim Brotherhood candidates won around half of the 24 seats won by the opposition, whilst the Shia minority was reduced to six seats from nine. One woman was elected, with only around 20 of the 42 MPs seeking re-election retaining their seats.[5]
Although large tribes tend to dominate elections in Kuwait, the 2016 polls saw smaller Kuwaiti tribes asserting themselves for the first time. Members of three of the largest tribes in Kuwait – Ajman, Matran, and Awazem – together won just seven seats in the election, down from 15.[6]
References
- ^ Kuwait emir dissolves parliament over fuel price row BBC News, 16 October 2016
- ^ Stage set for snap elections after Assembly dissolved – Amir cites ‘security challenges’ in dissolution decree Kuwait Times, 16 October 2016
- ^ a b Kuwait poll: Opposition wins nearly half of parliament Al Jazeera, 27 November 2016
- ^ Electoral system Inter-Parliamentary Union
- ^ Strong showing by opposition, outgoing Assembly punished Kuwait Times, 27 November 2016
- ^ After big election win, what’s next for Kuwait’s opposition? Courtney Freer, Journal of Middle Eastern Politics and Policy, 8 December 2016
| Parliamentary elections | |
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| Municipal elections | |
* Constitutional Convention | |
