Kuwait - April 2024
Kuwait elects new parliament for fourth year in a row as gridlock persists
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
