Kuwait sets December date for second elections in a year

KUWAIT’S ruler has said ­parliamentary elections will be held on 1 December, in an attempt to ease months of deepening political turmoil that has pit the pro-western ruling family against opposition forces led by Islamists.

The elections – the second this year in the oil-rich Gulf nation – will be held under voting district boundaries that appeared to favour the Islamists and their allies in the February ballot. Another opposition victory would heap further pressure on Kuwait’s ruling family to loosen its control over key government positions and impose more conservative rules, such as banning cultural events seen as offensive to Islamic values.

It also could bring more questions over Kuwait’s close alliance with the United States. Kuwait’s importance to Washington has risen sharply since the US troop withdrawal from Iraq last December. It is now the hub for US ground forces in the Gulf, where America and its Arab allies are seeking to curb Iran’s military ambitions.

Kuwait’s parliament is the most politically empowered among the Gulf Arab states, and directly challenges the ruling family over its policies and government spending. Opposition MPs have often demanded top government officials, including the prime minister, ­appear before them for questioning.

Opposition groups have staged increasingly bold rallies to demand new elections after parliament was disbanded this month following months of political tensions.

Last week, nearly 8,000 protesters gathered in Kuwait City in a show of force that featured clashes with riot police. Later, the ruling family urged Kuwaitis to show loyalty to the emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. Another opposition rally is planned for today.

Although no changes will be made to voting district rules favoured by the opposition, voters will no longer be able to cast multiple ballots for candidates under a new one-person-one-vote rule.

It is unclear, however, whether this will undercut the rising influence of Islamists and tribal groups that also accuse the ruling family of abusing its power.