On May 10, Kuwait's Emir, Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, issued a decree dissolving the National Assembly and suspending several constitutional provisions. This move follows the April 2024 elections, which followed a previous parliamentary dissolution in February. The decree consolidates legislative and executive powers in the hands of the government and the Emir, who said that this suspension, which could last up to four years, aims to facilitate a ‘comprehensive review’ of the democratic process. The suspension leaves Kuwait without a clear mechanism for reconstituting the dissolved Assembly, and expands executive authority by removing the requirement for legislative review of Emiri decrees and constitutional amendments. Kuwait's suspended constitutional provisions were unique in the Gulf region for granting substantial powers to its parliament.

Sources: Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya, The New York Times, Constitute Project

On 4 April, Kuwait held its fourth national election in four years, attempting to resolve its prolonged political deadlock. The snap election that took place during the month of Ramadan was called after Kuwait’s new emir Sheikh Mishal, who took office last December, dissolved the parliament on 15 February, citing ‘violation of the constitutional principles’. A total of 834,733 Kuwaitis were eligible to vote, and turnout was 62.1 per cent. The electoral result led to little change in the overall parliamentary composition as compared to prior electoral results, with opposition candidates retaining 29 of the 50 eligible seats. A total of 13 women ran for office, with experienced MP Jenan Bushehri being the only elected woman. Shia candidates won a total of eight parliamentary seats. One candidate linked to the Islamic Constitutional Movement, the branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait, also secured a seat.

Sources: Aljazeera, Al Araby, International IDEA, Al Qabas, The New York Times

Kuwaitis voting in the country’s snap general election on 6 June elected a parliament in which opposition candidates (those not tied to Kuwait’s ruling family) hold 29 of the National Assembly’s 50 elected seats. The election was called after the Constitutional Court annulled the results of the September 2022 election in March 2023 and reinstated the previous parliament, which was in turn dissolved on 1 May 2023. The composition of the new parliament is similar to the one elected in 2022 (37 members retained their seat) and has given rise to concerns that it will mean a continuation of the deadlock between an assertive, elected parliament and the Emir-appointed government, which has paralysed the country’s politics. Only one female MP was elected, down from two in 2022. Women’s rights activists have attributed the decline to the growing influence of tribal and Islamist MPs. Voter turnout was 59.3 per cent (up from 50 per cent in 2022).

Source: The Jordan Times, American Broadcasting Company News, Al Jazeera, International IDEA 

In the first use of the death penalty in Kuwait since 2017 (when seven people were killed), seven convicted individuals were killed by Kuwaiti authorities in a mass execution on 16 November. Only four were Kuwaiti nationals; the others were from Pakistan, Syria, and Ethiopia. All seven had been convicted of murder. The use of the death penalty has prompted international condemnation from the United Nations, European Union and Amnesty International, with the United Nations Human Rights Office spokesperson describing it as a “deeply regrettable step backwards by the Kuwaiti authorities.”

Sources: Al Jazeera, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, European External Action Service, Amnesty International