Opposition gains control of Kuwaiti parliament

Published on Saturday 4 February 2012 03:34

Opposition groups that include hard-line Islamists have taken control of Kuwait’s parliament, according to election results yesterday.

The conservative surge also left the 50-seat assembly without any female members.

The outcome highlights the growing pressures on Kuwait’s ruling family after months of political upheaval.

Although Kuwait’s rulers retain full control of key government posts, the country’s parliament can challenge policies and bring no-confidence motions against officials.

The strengthened opposition could now exert even more sway over the emir over issues ranging from foreign policies to social rules, such as proposals to ban women from competing in international sporting events.Official results from Thursday’s election gave 14 seats to Islamists that share many views with groups such as Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. Tribal-based leaders also took 20 seats, giving conservative-leaning groups a clear majority.

At least nine seats went to liberals and seven to Shia lawmakers, who had generally sided with the Sunni-led ruling family, according to official results.

But that still leaves only a minority of the seats firmly in the hands of pro-government lawmakers. The previous parliament was about evenly split between opposition groups and government allies.

Kuwait’s political tensions began long before the Arab Spring uprisings, which gave Kuwaiti opposition groups of all hues confidence.