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| Constitution |
 Kuwaitportal |
Unofficial elections were held in Kuwait on 29 June 1938. [1] Fourteen members of a new council were elected from among 20 candidates, with Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah subsequently granting recognition to the body as the Legislative Council.
The Majlis movement began in early 1938 when a group of businessmen began calling for political reforms, including better public services and greater public participation in government. [2] In late February an activist was publicly flogged after being accused of graffiti and anti-government propaganda. [3] Despite reassurances that the accomplices he had named were not under threat of any action, several people fled to Iraq. [3] An underground movement subsequently developed and published its proposals for reform in the Iraqi Az-Zaman newspaper on 3 April. [3] After the proposals received support from other Iraqi newspapers, the sheikh wrote a letter to the Iraqi press telling them to cease interfering in Kuwaiti affairs. [3]
Due to the unrest, the British Political Agent Gerald de Gaury was authorised to suggest to the sheikh that a council be created. [3] Although the proposal was initially rejected, agitation from businessmen increased after they found out about the British advice. [3] The sheikh also faced pressure from within his family, with his cousin Crown Prince Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah reportedly providing de Gaury with a copy of an agreement between the sheikh and prominent families in which he had promised to form a council if he was elected sheikh. [3]
On 29 June, three leading businessmen formally requested the sheikh create an elected council. [3] On the same day, heads of 150 prominent families met to elect the members of the council, [3] with 14 elected from among 20 candidates. [4]
| Candidate | Votes | % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Shaheen Al-Ghanem | 103 | Elected | |
| Youssef bin Issa Al-Qenaei | 100 | Elected | |
| Abdullah Al-Hamad Al-Saqr | 100 | Elected | |
| Mishaan Khudair Mishaan Khudair | 82 | Elected | |
| Suleiman Khaled Al-Adsani | 77 | Elected | |
| Ali Al-Sayyid Suleiman Al-Rifai | 76 | Elected | |
| Mishari Al-Hassan Al-Badr | 62 | Elected | |
| Sultan Ibrahim Al-Kulaib | 62 | Elected | |
| Abdul Latif Mohammed Thunayan Al-Ghanim | 61 | Elected | |
| Youssef Saleh Al-Humaidhi | 59 | Elected | |
| Saleh Othman Al-Rashed | 50 | Elected | |
| Youssef Marzouq Al-Marzouq | 45 | Elected | |
| Hamad Dawood Al-Marzouq | 39 | Elected | |
| Khaled Abdul Latif Al-Hamad | 37 | Elected | |
| Total | |||
| Source: Al Qabas | |||
The elected members met at the Mejlis on 4 July and demanded the sheikh recognise the new council. [3] After initially trying to undermine it by attempting unsuccessfully to offer privileges to members who would defect, he consented on 6 July and recognised it as the Legislative Council. [3] Crown Prince Abdullah was elected speaker. [4]
However, the British felt that the powers given by the sheikh to the council were too broad, particularly making it responsible for approving foreign treaties and giving the speaker executive authority. [3] A meeting was arranged with de Gaury, the sheikh, the Political Resident of the Persian Gulf and some members of the council on 15 October, at which it was agreed that the sheikh would have sole responsibility for negotiating and signing foreign agreements, but that they needed approval by the council to become law. [3]
Tensions between the council and the sheikh and political agent soon came to a head, with the sheikh unhappy with the council dismissing his chief secretary Abdullah Saleh Al Mulla (who had effectively been the country's government for four decades) [3] and the British unhappy with the council attempting to take control of revenue from oil. The sheikh dissolved the council on 21 December and called fresh elections. [3]
Kuwait is a sovereign state in Western Asia located at the head of the Persian Gulf. The geographical region of Kuwait has been occupied by humans since antiquity, particularly due to its strategic location at the head of the Persian Gulf. In the pre-oil era, Kuwait was a regional trade port. In the modern era, Kuwait is best known for the Gulf War (1990–1991).
The House of Sabah is the ruling family of Kuwait.
Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah or Jaber III was Emir of Kuwait from 31 December 1977 until his death in 2006.
Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah is the eldest serving member and a Sheikh of the House of Sabah, as well as the sole commander throughout the Kuwait National Guard’s six-decade history.
Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was Emir of Kuwait from 2020 until his death in 2023.
Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. Kuwait also shares maritime borders with Iran. Kuwait has a coastal length of approximately 500 km (311 mi). Most of the country's population reside in the urban agglomeration of the capital and largest city Kuwait City. As of 2023, Kuwait has a population of 4.82 million people of which 1.53 million are Kuwaiti citizens while the remaining 3.29 million are foreign nationals from over 100 countries.
The Constitution of Kuwait was created by the Constitutional Assembly in 1961–1962 and signed into law on 11 November 1962 by the Emir, the Commander of the Military of Kuwait Sheikh Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah.
Operation Vantage was a British military operation in 1961 to support the newly independent state of Kuwait against territorial claims by its neighbour, Iraq. The UK reacted to a call for protection from Sheikh Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah of Kuwait, and air, sea and land forces were in place within days. Iraq did not attack and the British forces were replaced by the Arab League. Iraq recognised Kuwaiti independence in 1963.
The relations between Iraq and Kuwait are longstanding and complex, experiencing many changes throughout recent decades.
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was the tenth ruler of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait from 29 March 1921 until his death on 29 January 1950. He was the longest reigning ruler of Kuwait having reigned for a total 28 years and 305 days.
Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah was the Emir of Kuwait from 15 January until his abdication on 24 January 2006, succeeding Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
The Sheikhdom of Kuwait was a sheikhdom during the pre-oil era. The sheikhdom became a British protectorate between 1899 and 1961 following the Anglo-Kuwaiti agreement of 1899. This agreement was made between Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah and the British Government in India, primarily as a defensive measure against threats from the Ottoman Empire. After 1961, the sheikdom became the state of Kuwait.
Sheikh Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was a member of the House of Sabah and one of the first Kuwaitis to attain the military rank of lieutenant general. He was one of the first Kuwaitis to be commissioned as an officer by the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK, and the first Kuwaiti to receive an Amiri Decree for appointment as Chief of the General Staff. Mubarak initiated joint training of Kuwait Armed Forces and United States Armed Forces in 1977 and, the following year, was the first military officer to establish conscription.
The Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait is the heir apparent to the Emir of Kuwait. Under Article 4 of the Constitution of Kuwait, this position can only be held by the descendants of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, and must be designated within a year of the Emir's accession. This designation is given effect by a combination of the Emir's nomination, and its approval by the National Assembly, as signified by a majority vote of its members in a special sitting. If this does not happen, the Constitution requires the Emir to nominate three descendants of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, of whom the National Assembly will pledge allegiance to one as the Crown Prince or heir apparent. To be appointed, the nominee must also have attained the age of majority, be of sound mind, and be the legitimate son of Muslim parents.
Events in the year 2022 in Kuwait.
General elections were held in Kuwait on 29 September 2022 following the dissolution of parliament by Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. However, the results were annulled by the Constitutional Court on 19 March 2023 after judges ruled that the previous parliament had not been dissolved properly.
General elections were held in Kuwait on 24 December 1938.
General elections were held in Kuwait on 28 March 1958. Voters elected 55 members of a new advisory council. However, due to a dispute with the government, the new council was never convened.
| Parliamentary elections | |
|---|---|
| Municipal elections | |
* Constitutional Convention | |
