A feud between the government and the parliament has led to multiple dissolutions and elections in recent months.
Kuwait is holding its second parliamentary election in a year, a snap election called amid its ongoing political crisis that has seen a shuffle of the parliament numerous times in recent months.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming election:
What is Kuwait’s political structure?
Kuwait has a monarch from the ruling al-Sabah family, Emir Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, but his paternal half-brother, Crown Prince Sheikh Meshaal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah has recently taken on a larger role.
The emir holds the most powerful position in the country and appoints the prime minister who, in turn, appoints the cabinet.
The country’s prime minister is Sheikh Ahmad al-Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, the son of the current emir.
The country’s 65-seat National Assembly has more influence than in other Gulf monarchies, challenging the executive branch at times.
Fifty seats in the parliament are up for grabs in the upcoming election. The remaining 15 are appointed by the emir.
Political parties have not been legalised in Kuwait, so candidates run as independents.
When is the parliamentary election?
The elections to elect 50 representatives in the National Assembly are being held on June 6.
This will be Kuwait’s third election in three years; its 10th since 2006.
This time, 207 candidates are running, a 10-year low, according to local daily al-Jarida.
When was the last parliamentary election?
The last election was held in September 2022 in which the opposition made significant gains.
The election was held after the government dissolved the 2020 parliament in August 2022, in a bid to end the ongoing feud between the government and the elected parliament that has hampered fiscal reforms.
What happened to that parliament?
Kuwait’s Constitutional Court annulled the September 2022 election in March 2023 and restored the previous 2020 assembly.
However, on May 1, the crown prince dissolved the reinstated 2020 assembly.
The election on June 6 is being held because, according to Kuwait’s constitution, an election for a new parliament must be held within two months of the date of dissolution.
Kuwaiti MPs attend a session in Kuwait City, on April 4, 2023 [Yasser al-Zayyat/AFP]
Why has the parliament been in disarray, sparking so many elections?
The government and the elected parliament have been bickering over a controversial bill that proposes the government take over consumer and personal loans of Kuwaiti citizens.
The government says the move would be too expensive, costing almost $46bn in public funds.
MPs argue it would cost significantly less, less than $6.5bn.
What has been the impact of the country’s political gridlock?
The ongoing rift between elected lawmakers and an appointed cabinet has resulted in a decay of social services like healthcare and education.
Despite holding one of the world’s largest oil reserves and having a strong fiscal and external balance sheet, the turmoil has stalled much-needed investments and reforms.
Why was the last election a hopeful one for many?
The Kuwaiti citizenry, of which there are about 750,000 registered voters (2022 estimate) out of a population of about one million, according to a 2023 estimate, was driven to the polls buoyed by a royal promise that Kuwait would enter a new era.
The election also led to a majority opposition presence, with a number of establishment politicians voted out.
It also saw the return of women, absent since 2020, to the parliament with the election of two women MPs, Jinan Boushehri and Alia al-Khaled, in an election where some 22 women ran among 305 candidates.
What is the state of women’s human rights and representation in Kuwaiti politics?
Women represent 51.2 percent of registered voters and earned the right to vote in 2005.
Since the Constitutional Court annulled the September 2022 election in March, the parliament has been all-male.
Women’s human rights issues like inheritance and property ownership persist.
Several women candidates are among the 207 running in the June 6 election.
