Kuwait - Parliament Elections 2012
On 5 December 2011, the Amir dissolved the National Assembly due to deteriorating political conditions. The decree was recommended by the newly-appointed Prime Minister, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. This is the latest twist in a dramatic few months in Kuwaiti politics. On 28 December 2011, the Amir accepted the resignation of his government. The immediate cause of this was the interpolation (questioning) motion tabled by opposition MPs in Parliament. This is the seventh time in six years that the Cabinet has been dissolved in such a way (on each previous occasion, the former PM – Sheikh Nasser – was re-appointed). The previous occurrence was in April 2011, against the background of disagreements over Kuwait’s reaction to events in Bahrain.
Following the dissolution of parliament by the Amir, the elections for the new National Assembly took place on 2 February. Polling day was peacefully conducted and official observers declared the elections free and fair. As predicted, Islamists were the major winners – securing 22 out of 50 MPs (the highest number of Islamists ever elected to the Kuwaiti Parliament). These factors make up a large part of the “opposition” movement, which was pivotal in bringing down the former Prime Minister. The major losers were the liberals, whose representation was cut to six MPs. All four women elected in 2009 lost their seats.
Islamist and other opposition forces scored an overwhelming victory in the election in February 2012, but a court ruling declared the vote null and void. The government announced that it will hold elections on 01 December 2012. The announcement was the latest move in an intensifying power struggle between Kuwait's western-allied ruling family and the opposition. Kuwait's ruler, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, ordered changes advantageous to pro-government candidates before the election scheduled for 01 December 2012. Police in Kuwait used tear gas, stun guns and batons on Sunday to disperse tens of thousands of anti-government protesters. Opposition groups took to the streets of Kuwait City 21 October 2012 to protest changes in Kuwait's electoral law that they say would undercut their rising clout in the oil-rich nation. Dozens of people were injured and several others were arrested. The opposition bloc said the recent changes in the parliamentary election system are arbitrary.
Riot police in Kuwait on 31 October 2012 used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse thousands of protesters demanding freedom for a jailed opposition leader accused of insulting the emir. Prosecutors have ordered Musallam al-Barrak held for 10 days while they investigate the charges. Barrack, a former member of parliament, had been accused of insulting the emir by warning the ruler at an opposition rally two weeks earlier against becoming an autocrat. Kuwaiti authorities subsequently banned gatherings of more than 20 people as the country prepares for early parliamentary elections.
Opposition politicians and their supporters held protests starting in October 2012, demanding that the Emir retract the changes to the election law. Thousands of opposition supporters took to the streets in Kuwait the on Sunday night [04 November 2012] to protest new election rules ahead of a parliamentary election scheduled for December. Security forces used tear gas to disperse the protesters. The opposition bloc said dozens of protestors were detained in clashes with the forces. Opposition groups said they would boycott the scheduled election.
Opposition groups in Kuwait said they had successfully boycotted the December 2012 parliamentary election held under a new electoral law. Election officials said the turnout for the election was lighter than usual with about 39 percent of eligible voters participating. Turnout for a parliamentary vote earlier in the year was nearly 60 percent. Kuwaitis voted for all 50 of the Gulf emirate's parliament seats. Shi'ite minority candidates won about one-third of the seats, their biggest tally ever.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
