Kuwait’s next parliament will comprise mostly new faces after voters returned just 19 of the 44 sitting members who sought re-election in Saturday's vote.
The new National Assembly will also be all-male despite a record number of women taking part – 28 out 322 candidates.
Turnout for the election was estimated at 60 per cent. Authorities put in place strict health precautions and set up special voting stations for people with coronavirus and those in quarantine to encourage the 567,694 eligible voters to participate.
Many voters complained that the strict health guidelines had resulted in long lines and crowded polling stations. The health ministry said a number of people were treated for fatigue, headaches or drop in blood sugar levels at clinics set up in the polling stations.
Health fears may have discouraged some voters from taking part, with turnout lower than the 70 per cent in 2016 despite some political groups deciding to end election boycotts declared in response to changes to the electoral law in 2012.
Voters were asked to choose 10 candidates each from Kuwait’s five electoral districts. Fifteen other members of the house are appointed by the prime minister.
Tribal members made strong gains in the election while opposition candidates also won more seats, reflecting a desire for change among voters during an economic downturn caused by the pandemic and low oil prices. Liberals fared poorly and many leading pro-government legislators lost their seats.
Twenty-two of the new MPs have never served in parliament, while several former members made a comeback. They include Hasan Johar, who received the highest number of votes in the first electoral district and is returning to parliament after a gap of 11 years.
Among the 19 members of the previous house who were re-elected is Adnan Abdulsamad, the longest-serving member of parliament with 11 terms since 1981.
Thirty of the newly elected members are under the age of 45.
"There is a big change in the composition of the new National Assembly," Kuwait analyst Ayed Al Manaa told Agence France-Presse.
"This an indication of the voters' anger over the performance of the previous parliament and of their desire for change in economic, health, education" and services, he said.
The polls were the first since the new emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah, took office in September after the death of his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah, at the age of 91.
Campaigning for the election was severely limited by the pandemic, with restrictions on large gatherings and public talks. Instead, this year's campaign was fought primarily on social networks and in the media.
The new parliament will convene for its first session on December 15, according to an emiri decree issued on Sunday.
Sheikh Nawaf accepted the resignation of the government submitted by Prime Minister Sabah Al Sabah on Sunday in keeping with protocol. The ruler asked the Cabinet to continue in a caretaker capacity until a new government is appointed, state news agency Kuna said.
Under the constitution a new Cabinet must be formed within two weeks, ahead of the new parliament’s inauguration.
The economy will be one of the key issues facing the new legislators and government. Kuwait is facing a record budget deficit and the International Monetary Fund expects the economy to contract more than 8 per cent this year.
According to Kuwaiti analyst Mohammed Al Dawsari, the country may witness a struggle between the new National Assembly and the government over economic legislation.
"The people were not satisfied with the performance of the previous parliament, and there are many who are calling for a comprehensive reconciliation between the government and the opposition," he said.
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
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- Add tint to windows
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Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
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- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
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Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
MORE ON IRAN'S PROXY WARS
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
FIGHT CARD
From 5.30pm in the following order:
Featherweight
Marcelo Pontes (BRA) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) v Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Welterweight
Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR) v Gimbat Ismailov (RUS)
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) v Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (BEL) v Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
Catchweight 100kg
Mohamed Ali (EGY) v Marc Vleiger (NED)
Featherweight
James Bishop (AUS) v Mark Valerio (PHI)
Welterweight
Gerson Carvalho (BRA) v Abdelghani Saber (EGY)
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) v Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Bantamweight:
Fabio Mello (BRA) v Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magemedsultanov (RUS)
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) v Jayson Margallo (PHI)
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Roman Golovinov (UKR)
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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The specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
