Kuwaiti general election, February 2012

Last updated
Kuwait speaker election, 2012

Flag of Kuwait.svg

←  2009 4 March 2012 Next  →
All 64 seats to the National Assembly (Kuwait)

 First partySecond party
  Ahmed AbdulAziz AL-Sadoun.jpg Mohammed Al-Sager.jpg
Leader Ahmed Al-Sadoun Mohammed Al-Sager
Party Popular Action Bloc National Democratic Alliance (Kuwait)
Seats won3826
Speaker of Kuwait National Assembly before election

Jassem Al-Kharafi
Independent

Speaker of Kuwait National Assembly

Ahmed Al-Sadoun
Popular Action Bloc

Kuwait
Coat of arms of Kuwait.svg
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Kuwait

Early general elections were held in Kuwait on 2 February 2012, [1] the country's second general election in a three-year period. The election's turnout rate was 59%. [1] However, in June 2012 Kuwait's Constitutional Court declared the elections invalid and reinstated the former parliament. The court said the dissolution of Parliament in December 2011 by Emir Sabah Al-Sabah was unconstitutional. [2] In response, opposition MPs resigned from parliament and demanded a full parliamentary system. [3]

Kuwait Country in Western Asia

Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in Western Asia. Situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, it shares borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As of 2016, Kuwait has a population of 4.5 million people: 1.3 million are Kuwaitis and 3.2 million are expatriates. Expatriates account for 70% of the population.

Contents

After the dissolution of parliament, a new election was set for December 2012.

Background

Emir Sabah Al-Sabah dissolved the National Assembly of Kuwait on 7 December 2011 citing "deteriorating conditions" amid an increasingly bitter political showdown over alleged high-level corruption. Major street demonstrations, some with crowds numbering in the tens of thousands, had been occurring with greater and greater frequency, forcing the resignation of the government for the second time in less than a year. [4] A group of former government parliamentarians sued to reverse the dissolution, stating that the act was unconstitutional. [5] In response the decree to set the date for the new election was delayed. The election was eventually set for 21 February. [6] [ citation needed ]

Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah emir of Kuwait

Sheikh Sabah IV Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah GCB (Hon) is the Emir of Kuwait and the Commander of the Kuwait Military Forces. He was sworn in on 29 January 2006 after confirmation by the National Assembly. He is the fourth son of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was honored by the United Nations Organization on September 9, 2014 and named leader of humanitarian work. On March 2017, he has been awarded the Honorary Doctorate from Kuwait University for his humanitarian and global role.

National Assembly (Kuwait) National Assembly of Kuwait

The National Assembly, is the unicameral legislature of Kuwait. The National Assembly meets in Kuwait City. Members are chosen through direct election; the country is divided into five electoral districts with ten members representing each district. There are no official political parties in Kuwait, therefore candidates run as independents during elections; upon winning, members usually form informal parliamentary blocs. The National Assembly is made up of 50 elected members as well as up to 15 appointed government ministers who are ex officio members. On October 16, 2016, the Amir of Kuwait issued a decree dissolving the National Assembly citing security challenges, paving the way for early elections, which were held on November 26, 2016.

Campaign

While operating within the Constitution of Kuwait, opposition candidates are demanding significant reforms, including a constitutional monarchy. Shiite candidate and ex-MP Hussein al-Qallaf accused the opposition[ which? ] of wanting to share power with the ruling family, which he said would lead Kuwait into a state of chaos. [7]

Constitution of Kuwait

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. The constitution establishes Kuwait as a Hereditary constitutional monarchy and Islam as the state religion.

A constitutional monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the sovereign exercises authority in accordance with a written or unwritten constitution. Constitutional monarchy differs from absolute monarchy in that constitutional monarchs are bound to exercise their powers and authorities within the limits prescribed within an established legal framework. Constitutional monarchies range from countries such as Morocco, where the constitution grants substantial discretionary powers to the sovereign, to countries such as Japan and Sweden where the monarch retains no formal authorities.

Hussain Ali Alsayyid Khalifa Hussain al-Qallaf is a member of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, representing the first district. Born in 1958, Al-Qallaf studied Sharia law before being elected to the National Assembly in 1996. While political parties are technically illegal in Kuwait, Al-Qallaf affiliates with the Shia deputies.

Candidates

There were 344 candidates, including 24 women, who ran in five constituencies with ten seats each. [8]

Opinion polls

According to some polls,[ which? ] the opposition may gain as many as 33 seats, up from the 20 seats they held before. [9]

Results

Liberal bloc won 9 seats. [10] The opposition bloc won 34 out of 50 seats in the parliament. [10] The opposition bloc is a loose coalition of liberals, Islamists, secular nationalists, populists, tribes and a few Shiites. Sunni Islamists and tribes combined won 23 seats. [10]

e  •  d   Summary of the 2 February 2012 National Assembly of Kuwait election results
formal or informal groupSeats
Independent19
Liberal9 [11]
Sunni Islamist13 [12]
Popular Action Bloc & opposition reformists11 [12]
Total (turnout: 59%) [13] 50

The biggest margin of victory in each constituency was led by: [14] [15] [16] [17]

  1. Faisal al-Duwaisan with 14,094 votes.[ which? ]
  2. Jamaan al-Harbash (or Jama'an al-Hirbish) with 8,475 votes.[ which? ]
  3. Faisal al-Mislem al-Otaibi with 16,383 votes.
  4. Musallam al-Barrak.[ which? ]
  5. Falah al-Sawwagh.[ which? ]

Related Research Articles

Government of Kuwait

Kuwait is a constitutional emirate with a semi-democratic political system. The hybrid political system is divided between an elected parliament and appointed government.

Elections in Bahrain

The National Assembly is bicameral with the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, having 40 members elected in single-seat constituencies for a four-year term. The upper house, the Shura Council, has 40 members appointed by the King of Bahrain, with the stated aim of giving a voice to minority communities and technocratic experts within the legislative process. Supporters of the system refer to long established democracies the United Kingdom and Canada operating with this bicameralism with an appointed upper chamber and an elected lower chamber. Opponents of this system point out that unlike the bicameral systems in the UK and Canada, the Bahraini system gives the unelected upper house equal or more legislative power than the elected lower house, allowing the King to control all legislation. Opponents also point out that the current system was imposed unilaterally by the King, violating the 1973 Constitution and a 2001 signed agreement with the Bahraini opposition.

Elections in Kuwait

Elections in Kuwait are held for both the National Assembly and for the Municipality. Kuwait's constitution calls for elections to the unicameral National Assembly at a maximum interval of four years. Elections are held earlier if the Constitutional Court or Emir dissolve the parliament.

Liberal Democratic Party (Australia) Australian political party

The Liberal Democratic Party is an Australian political party founded in Canberra in 2001. The party espouses smaller government and supports policies that are based on classical liberal and right-libertarian principles. The LDP is a registered party in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia and is also registered for federal elections with the Australian Electoral Commission. It also has a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council, Aaron Stonehouse, two representatives in the Victorian Legislative Council, Tim Quilty and David Limbrick, and elected representatives in some local governments.

Nasser Al-Sabah Prime Minister of Kuwait

Nasser Mohammed Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is a Kuwaiti politician who served as Prime Minister of Kuwait from 7 February 2006 until resigning on 28 November 2011. He is the first prime minister to date that never became ruler or even crown prince.

2006 Kuwaiti general election

General elections were held in Kuwait on 29 June 2006. They were the first elections in Kuwait in which women were able to vote and run for office.

2006 Bahraini general election

General elections were held in Bahrain on 25 November 2006 for the 40-seat Council of Representatives alongside municipal elections. There was a 72% turnout in the first round of polling. As expected by most observers, Shi'a and Sunni Islamists dominated the poll, winning a clean sweep in the first round of voting, while liberal and ex-communist MPs lost all their seats. Four candidates of the left-wing National Democratic Action made it through to second round run-off which was held on 2 December 2006.

2008 Kuwaiti general election

An early parliamentary election was held in Kuwait on 17 May 2008 after the Emir Sabah Al-Sabah dissolved the National Assembly of Kuwait on 19 March 2008 over constant clashes between the government and the elected MPs. 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.

Politics of Kuwait

Kuwait is a constitutional emirate with a semi-democratic political system. The hybrid political system is divided between an elected parliament and appointed government.

Musallam Al-Barrak is a Kuwaiti politician. He was a member of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, representing the fourth district.

2009 Kuwaiti general election

An early parliamentary election was held in Kuwait on 16 May 2009, the country's third in a three-year period. Kuwait had voted on six occasions between 1991 and 2009. The turnout rate was 50%. The election was notable in that four women were elected for the first time since Kuwait gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961.

2011–12 Egyptian parliamentary election election

A parliamentary election to the People's Assembly of Egypt was held from 28 November 2011 to 11 January 2012, following the revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, after which the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) dissolved the parliament of Egypt. However the dissolution was ruled unconstitutional and Parliament was reinstated. Originally, the elections had been scheduled to be held in September 2011, but was postponed amid concerns that established parties would gain undue advantage.

The Kuwaiti protests refers to the series of 2011–12 demonstrations for government reforms in the state of Kuwait. In November 2011, the government of Kuwait resigned in response to the protests, making Kuwait one of several countries affected by the Arab Spring to experience major governmental changes due to unrest. The protests began with stateless people (Bedoon).

Egyptian Bloc political party

The Egyptian Bloc was an electoral alliance in Egypt. It was formed in August 2011 by several liberal, social democratic, and leftist political parties and movements, as well as the traditional Islamist Sufi Liberation Party to prevent the Muslim Brotherhood, and its affiliated Freedom and Justice Party from winning the parliamentary election in November of that year. As of September 2012, all former constituent parties left the bloc, joined other alliances or merged into other parties.

December 2012 Kuwaiti general election

Early general elections were held in Kuwait on 1 December 2012 after early elections in February 2012 were declared invalid.

2013 Kuwaiti general election

Early general elections were held in Kuwait on 27 July 2013. The elections were required after the Constitutional Court dissolved Parliament and annulled the results of the December 2012 elections. Voter turnout was an estimated 52.5%, which was higher than expected despite an opposition boycott, and only 7% lower than the non-boycotted February 2012 elections.

2019 Danish general election

General elections will be held in the Kingdom of Denmark after either the dissolution or expiry of the current Parliament, and must be held on or before 17 June 2019. All 179 members of the Folketing will be elected. 175 members will be elected in Denmark proper, two in the Faroe Islands and two in Greenland.

Events from the year 2013 in Kuwait.

2016 Kuwaiti general election

Early general elections were held in Kuwait on 26 November 2016. They follow the dissolution of the parliament elected in 2013 by Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in October 2016. Under the constitution, elections must be held within two months. Opposition candidates won 24 of the 50 seats in the National Assembly. Voter turnout was around 70 percent.

References

  1. 1 2 Sharaf, Nihal; Abubakar A. Ibrahim (2012-02-02). "New faces for opposition reset: Endemic disputes dull voter optimism". Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-04.. One hour before polls closed, 238308/400296=59.53 percent, rounds to 60 percent.
  2. ↑ Kuwait court voids election and reinstates parliament BBC News, 20 June 2012
  3. ↑ "Kuwaiti opposition demand "full parliamentary system"". Reuters. 22 June 2012.
  4. ↑ "Kuwait emir dissolves parliament citing 'deteriorating conditions'". The National. Associated Press. 25 May 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  5. ↑ "Former MPs to challenge dissolution of Assembly". Kuwait Times. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "Amiri decree setting date for elections delayed". Arab Times. UK. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  7. ↑ "Kuwait votes in polls hoping to end deadlock". English.alarabiya.net. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  8. ↑ "7 % women candidates for Kuwaiti parliament elections". WoMen Dialogue. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  9. ↑ "Kuwait Election May Deepen Deadlock, Bolster Opposition". Bloomberg Business. 1 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 "Kuwait election: Islamist-led opposition makes gains". BBC News . 3 February 2012. Liberals won nine seats, while women did not win any.
  11. ↑ "Kuwait election: Islamist-led opposition makes gains". BBC News . February 3, 2012. Liberals won nine seats, while women did not win any.
  12. 1 2 The 4 Feb Kuwait Times article gives 34 - (4+4) = 26 seats to Sunni Islamists and the Popular Action Bloc together. These are entered as 13 for each pending more information. An update is likely to be published at this IPU page (see the archive).
  13. ↑ Sharaf, Nihal; Abubakar A. Ibrahim (2012-02-02). "New faces for opposition reset: Endemic disputes dull voter optimism". Archived from the original on 2012-02-03. Retrieved 2012-02-04.. One hour before polls closed, 238308/400296=59.53 percent, rounds to 60 percent.
  14. ↑ "Justice Al-Khudhair announces 1st constituency winners". Kuwait News Agency. 2012-02-03. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
  15. ↑ "Justice Al-Mutairat announces winners of parliamentary elections of 2ndconstituency". Kuwait News Agency. 2012-02-03. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
  16. ↑ "List of Winners". Kuwait Times. 2012-02-03. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
  17. ↑ "Ten candidates to represent 3rd constituency in National Assembly". Kuwait News Agency. 2012-02-03. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.