Political Parties and Elections
For other political parties see List of political parties in Kuwait. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Kuwait.The constitution calls for new elections to be held at a maximum interval of four years (or earlier if the Amir dissolves the parliament). Kuwait has universal adult suffrage for Kuwaiti citizens who are 21 or older, with the exception of (1) those who currently serve in the armed or police forces, (2) citizens who have been naturalized for fewer than 20 years. The franchise was expanded to include women on May 16, 2005. In 1996 naturalized citizens were given the right to vote, but only after they had been naturalized for at least 30 years.
Most residents of Kuwait are not citizens and consequently do not have the right to vote. Kuwait's citizenship law, in theory, gives citizenship to those who descend, in the male line, from residents of Kuwait in 1920.
It can be difficult to summarize Kuwaiti election results because most candidates run as independents. In the 2003 elections the liberal/left Minbar al-Dimuqrati group lost both the seats it held in the 1999 parliament. The Salafis doubled their representation, to 6 seats. The Muslim Brotherhood, or Islamic Constitutional Movement (Hadas) lost several seats, winning only 2 in the 2003 elections. The Popular Bloc lost 4 of its 10 seats.
Once elected, many deputies form voting blocs in the National Assembly. Following the 2003 elections, 16 deputies joined the Islamist bloc; 6 joined the Popular Bloc (a populist group that includes both Bedouin and Shi'a deputies); 4 joined the liberal bloc.
Kuwaiti law does not recognize political parties. However, several major political groupings function as parties in elections, and there are blocs in the parliament. Several political groups act as de facto parties: the Muslim Brotherhood, two Salafist groups, a liberal/leftist group, a populist group, and so forth.
| Seats | |
|---|---|
| Independents (mostly pro-government) | 23 |
| Islamists (Sunni) | 13 |
| National Action Bloc (liberals) | 6 |
| Islamists (Shia) | 5 |
| Popular Bloc | 3 |
| Total (turnout 80 %) | 50 |
| Source: Kuwait Politics Database | |
Read more about this topic: Government Of Kuwait
Famous quotes containing the words political, parties and/or elections:
“There never seems to be any difficulty in stretching the laws and the constitution to fit any kind of a political deal, but when it is proposed to make some concession to women they loom up like an unscalable wall.”
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906)
“And therefore, as when there is a controversy in an account, the parties must by their own accord, set up for right Reason, the Reason of some Arbitrator, or Judge, to whose sentence, they will both stand, or their controversy must either come to blows, or be undecided, for want of a right Reason constituted by Nature; so is it also in all debates of what kind soever.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1579–1688)
“In my public statements I have earnestly urged that there rested upon government many responsibilities which affect the moral and spiritual welfare of our people. The participation of women in elections has produced a keener realization of the importance of these questions and has contributed to higher national ideals. Moreover, it is through them that our national ideals are ingrained in our children.”
—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)