Fed-up of political bickering, Kuwaitis vote for change
By B Izzak
KUWAIT: Kuwaiti voters, seeking to regain elusive political stability, Thursday voted for change, giving the opposition a massive lift and dealing a heavy blow to the pro-government camp.
As many as 27 members of the dissolved house are no longer in the new national assembly, with 20 of them losing their bid for re-election and seven have opted not to contest the snap polls, called after dissolving parliament over continued political crises.
The opposition of various political affiliations now controls 33 seats of the 50-member house, an absolute majority. Prominent opposition leader and former three-time speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun won a seat with a record number of votes. Saadoun, 87, is tipped to become the next speaker.
Former speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem, who headed parliament for the last decade, decided not to run for re-election.
Two female members were elected; Alia Al-Khaled in the second constituency and Jenan Bushehri in the third electoral district, signaling the women return to the house as no women were elected in the previous assembly. Shiites made a 50 percent gain, winning nine seats in various districts compared to just six in the previous assembly.
The 50 winners marked the victory with fireworks as their jubilant supporters celebrated with folkloric songs and nationalist slogans.
New MPs welcomed the results, saying they give a strong message that Kuwaitis want stability and are looking for achievements and development.
People vote for New Kuwait
“Today is the victory day for New Kuwait, a different Kuwait” newly-elected opposition MP Saud Al-Asfour said. “We will not allow the country to slide back as it was in the past 20 years” Asfour said.
“This is a new day for Kuwait, a new day for democracy” said MP Abdulkarim Al-Kandari. “The Kuwaiti people have sent their message to the leadership” MP Fares Al-Otaibi said.
MP Muhalhal Al-Mudhaf said Kuwait is now in celebration and expressed the hope that happiness will continue.
“Kuwait is celebrating a new happiness. I hope happy days will continue and we will be able to resolve the outstanding issues” he said.
MP Mubarak Al-Hajraf said that a New Kuwait has emerged after the elections. “The Kuwaiti people have yet again proved they are aware and wise,” he said. Hajraf also announced that he plans to contest the post of the deputy speaker.
Ghanem called on the new assembly and the next government to work together to avoid the mistakes of the past.
He said after casting his vote on Thursday that if the two bodies cooperate, they can achieve political stability which will reflect positively on all.
Cabinet to step down
Under Kuwait’s constitution, the cabinet must resign following general elections. Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah, hailed as a reformist, is expected to submit his government’s resignation on Sunday.
He is highly expected to be renamed as the next premier to form the cabinet which must be ready before the new assembly holds its inaugural session which should be convened within two weeks of the results.
Almost all elected opposition MPs and even others have hailed Sheikh Ahmad and described him as a reformist. Based on that, he is not likely to face much opposition at least in the beginning of the assembly.
Opposition MPs have clearly said they will cooperate with the prime minister as long as he brings out a realistic and positive program of action that should resolve the country’s outstanding economic and political problems.
Under Kuwait constitution, the parliamentary majority does not form the cabinet as the prime minister and key portfolios are held by senior members of the Al-Sabah ruling family.
New Assembly
The new assembly has 16 new young faces, including the two women members. It also has 23 members of the dissolved assembly and as many as 11 ex-MPs from previous assemblies.
It has 12 Sunni Islamist MPs from various affiliations, maintaining the same number as in the previous assembly.
Various Bedouin tribes won 24 seats, three less than in the previous assembly, mainly because the government cracked down on tribal primary elections, which are pre-elections held by various tribes to reduce the number of their candidates to boost their chances of winning more seats. Awazem tribe, the largest in Kuwait, was the main loser as they won just three seats compared to seven in the previous house.
As for political groupings, the Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM), the political arm of Kuwait’s Muslim Brotherhood, maintained their strength with three seats out of five candidates they fielded. They have a few supporters.
The Shiite Islamic Coalition won three seats compared to just one in the previous assembly. Another Shiite group, the Justice and Peace won two seats after fielding just two candidates.
The liberal Democratic Forum and the nationalist Popular Action Movement did not win seats after taking part in the election for the first time since 2012 when they boycotted the polls.
Supporters of the Islamic Salafi Alliance won two seats although they did not officially field them. Of 21 opposition members of the previous assembly who bid for re-election, only two lost.
Main winners and losers
Main winners include Saadoun, ex-MPs of the dissolved house Hasan Jowhar, Abdullah Al-Mudhaf, Abdulkarim Al-Kandari, Muhalhal Al-Mudhaf, Bader Al-Mulla, Mohammad Al-Mutair and Khalil Al-Saleh.
They also include Shuaib Al-Muwaizri, Obaid Al-Wasmi, Mubarak Al-Hajraf and Thamer Al-Suwait. Winners included Hamdan Al-Azemi, Khaled Al-Otaibi and Saifi Al-Saifi.
Main losers include former deputy speaker Ahmad Al-Shuhoumi, ex-minister Hamad Rouh El-Din, Bader Al-Humaidi, Hamad Al-Harashani, Mubarak Al-Ajmi and Humoud Al-Azemi.
Losers include ex-MPs Fayez Al-Mutairi, Saadoun Hamamd, Ahmad Al-Hamad, Osama Al-Munawer, Musaed Al-Mutairi, Mohammad Al-Rasheedi and Faraz Al-Mutairi.
Two MPs won from jail
Two of the 50 winners have won while in jail in an unprecedented manner in Kuwait’s 60 years of democracy.
Marzouq Al-Khalifa from the fourth constituency came in sixth place while Hamed Al-Bathali came in fourth place in the second district.
The two have been convicted by the court of appeals of taking part in the outlawed tribal primary elections. They are waiting for the final ruling by the court of cassation.
Between 2006 and 2022, the Amir dissolved parliament five times and the constitutional court revoked two assemblies. The country held 10 general elections since 2003, compared to just nine polls in the previous 40 years. Since 2006, many cabinets were formed and three prime ministers were forced to resign.
Names of New MPs
First Constituency
– Abdullah Al-Mudhaf
– Hasan Jowhar
– Osama Al-Zaid (New)
– Ahmad Lari
– Saleh Ashour
– Issa Al-Kandari
– Hamad Al-Medlej (New)
– Osama Al-Shaheen
– Khaled Al-Omairah
– Adel Al-Damkhi
Second Constituency
– Bader Al-Mulla
– Mohammad Al-Mutair
– Khalil Al-Saleh
– Alia Al-Khaled (New, female)
– Hamed Al-Bathali (New)
– Shuaib Shaaban (New)
– Falah Al-Hajeri (New)
– Hamad Al-Matar
– Abdulwahab Al-Issa (New)
– Abdullah Al-Anbui
Third Constituency
– Ahmad Al-Saadoun
– Muhalhal Al-Mudhaf
– Abdulkarim Al-Kundari
– Muhannad Al-Sayer
– Abdulaziz Al-Saqaabi
– Jenan Bushehri (New, female)
– Ammar Al-Ajmi
– Hamad Al-Obaid (New)
– Fares Al-Otaibi
– Khalil Abul
Fourth Constituency
– Shuaib Al-Muwaizri
– Mohammad Hayef
– Mubarak Al-Tasha (New)
– Mubarak Al-Hajraf
– Thamer Al-Suwait
– Marzouk Al-Khalifa
– Saad Al-Khanfour
– Obaid Al-Wasmi
– Abdullah Fahhad
– Yousuf Al-Bathali (New)
Fifth Constituency
– Hamdan Al-Azemi
– Saud Al-Asfour (New)
– Khaled Al-Oteibi
– Hani Shams (New)
– Mohammad Al-Ajmi (New)
– Saifi Al-Saifi
– Mohammad Al-Huwaila
– Majed Al-Mutairi
– Marzouk Al-Hubaini
– Faisal Al-Kandari
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