Kuwaiti parliamentary election, 2008

An early parliamentary election was held in Kuwait on 17 May 2008 after the Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dissolved the National Assembly of Kuwait on 19 March 2008 over constant clashes between the government and the elected MPs. [ [http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/international/emir_von_kuwait_setzt_neuwahlen_an_1.692247.html Emir von Kuwait setzt Neuwahlen an (International, NZZ Online) ] ] The last elections were held less than two years previously and saw a loose alliance of reformists and Islamists gain almost two thirds of the seats. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7305262.stm BBC NEWS | Middle East | Kuwait emir calls fresh elections ] ]

361,685 Kuwaitis were eligible to vote, more than half of them women; 27 of the 275 candidates were women. [ [http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=3337586 derStandard.at ] ] [ [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hXdyWt_OJjHyVsa-0hpi3KZ9rFCAD90NL1I80 The Associated Press: Kuwaitis elect new parliament ] ] None of the female candidates won. [ [http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=217873&Sn=WORL&IssueID=31060 Poll snub for Kuwait women] , "Gulf Daily News", 2008-05-19. Accessed 2008-05-22.]

New rules introduced for this election have changed the 25 constituencies electing two to five electing 10. This was a demand of the reformist Kuwaiti Orange Movement, which led mass demonstrations in 2006, who believed the change would impede vote buying electoral frauds. [ [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hXdyWt_OJjHyVsa-0hpi3KZ9rFCAD90NC2UO0 Kuwaitis elect new parliament] , "Associated Press", 2008-05-17]

A leading theme in the election was inflation, which hit a record high 9.5% four months before the election. Many candidates in the election proposed increased governmental subsidies to be funded by oil profits. [Laessing, Ulf. [http://in.reuters.com/article/asiaCompanyAndMarkets/idINL0887648720080515 Price debate dominates Kuwait election campaign] , Reuters India, 2008-05-15. Accessed 2008-05-22.]

Results

References