KUWAIT CITY, Feb 3: The 14th legislative term of the National Assembly is an Islamist and opposition led parliament with no female presence, as the four previous women MPs lost their seats to new faces. The new parliament structure was altered by 54 percent, according to analysts, and 34 elected MPs are of tribal, Islamist and opposition affiliations. Fourth Constituency opposition MP Musallam Al-Barrak won 30,118 votes, the highest number in this election.

In the First Constituency, Shiite Islamist MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan was awarded 14,094 votes, followed by Shiite Islamist MP Hussein Al-Qallaf with 11,394 and Salafi MP Mohammed Hassan Al-Kanderi with 11,305. First time Islamist lawmakers Osama Essa Al-Shaheen and Adel Al-Damkhi as well as Sunni independent Abdullah Al-Turaiji also won seats. Tenth place winner Al-Turaiji barely overtook former MP Masouma Al-Mubarak, who came in 11th place.

Al-Mubarak, who is a Shiite conservative, announced Friday she will appeal the results of the elections in court. “Even though I have the utmost respect for the voters’ choices, I have observations on the ballot counting process. Therefore, I will appeal to the upright Kuwaiti judiciary,” she said.

Al-Mubarak was observed taking ninth place throughout the ballot-counting, but unexpectedly lost her seat during the last hour. After having had nine seats in the previous assembly, the Shiite community gained only seven seats this term, six in the First Constituency and one in the Second.

In the Second Constituency, opposition Islamist MP Jamaan Al-Harbash led the polls with 8,475 votes. Al-Harbash was fielded by the Islamic Constitution Movement (ICM), a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, along with newcomer MP Hamad Al-Matar who came in sixth place with 5,624 votes. First time tribal lawmaker Riyadh Al-Adsani came in second place with 6,401 votes. Four of the ten seats belong to moderates with liberal views, while six are Islamists. Former MP Dr Salwa Al-Jassar did not make it to the top 15 list.

Battle
Meanwhile, six MPs in the Third Constituency are newcomers, with independent Mohammed Al-Juwaihel and Nabil Al-Fadl being the nemesis of the opposition. The Third witnessed the fiercest battle between liberals and Islamists for seats.

Opposition Islamist MP Faisal Al-Moslim Al-Mutairi won 16,383 votes in first place. Al-Juwaihel and Al-Fadl are outspoken critics of the Opposition Bloc, whose members belong to major tribes. It can be recalled that Al-Juwaihel’s electoral quarters was burned out by Al-Mutair tribesmen on Jan. 30. He had allegedly made defamatory remarks against the tribe.

Furthermore, the constituency’s two former MPs Aseel Al-Awadhi and Rola Dashti lost their parliament seats. Al-Awadhi was a member of the parliament’s liberal National Action Bloc (NAB), which has now almost disappeared with the removal of Abdullah Al-Roumi in the First and Saleh Al-Mulla in the Third, who were also members. NAB member Adel Al-Sarawwy had also decided not to contest this election.  Second Constituency liberal MP Marzouq Al-Ghanim is the only remaining member of the NAB.
The Fourth Constituency, which is controlled by the major tribes, witnessed an overwhelming number of votes for Al-Mutair tribesman Musallam Al-Barrak — 30,118 votes. Al-Barrak had also won in past elections with the highest numbers. Moreover, two other Al-Mutair tribesmen won second and third places — Mohammed Hayef Al-Mutairi and Obaid Al-Mutairi. All ten seats belong to Islamists, with predictions that they will align with the opposition.

Similarly, the Fifth Constituency is composed of tribal Islamists with half the winners new to the National Assembly, such as Bader Zayed Al-Azmi and Khaled Shukhayyer Al-Mutairi. Opposition MP Falah Al-Sawwagh was awarded 26,871 of the votes.

The National Assembly must begin two weeks after polls, according to the Constitution. Meanwhile, the government is expected to resign two days after polls, on Sunday. Following which, HH the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will issue a decree appointing a new Prime Minister who will be tasked with forming the new government.

“The Amir summons the National Assembly to hold its first meeting within two weeks of the end of the general election. If the decree of convocation is not issued within the said period, the Assembly is deemed to have been convoked for the morning of the day following these two weeks, due regard being given to the relevant provision of the preceding Article,” says Article 87 of the Constitution.

Reactions
Second Constituency pro-government liberal, MP Mohammed Al-Saqr, announced his nomination for speaker of parliament Friday after garnering the government’s support. Although the National Assembly’s 50 seats are given to elected representatives, the 16 state ministers have the right to cast their votes in parliament. Due to the overwhelming Islamist majority, veteran opposition MP Ahmed Al-Saadoun, who is also expected to contest for the position of speaker, will provide strong competition.
Following the poll verdicts, many candidates especially women thanked their electoral supporters for their voice. Islamist tribal MPs celebrated their victory, with MP Mohammed Hayef stating that he will submit his prepared proposal to amend Article 2 of the Constitution in order to stipulate that Islamic Sharia is the only source of legislation. He assured that the majority of MPs will support the draft law.
Prominent Islamists in the National Assembly have often been staunch objectors to women acquiring positions in the parliament. Due to the absence of women in parliament, however, the Kuwait Transparency Society (KTS) announced it will give the executive authority a proposal stipulating a quota system for women, hoping that it will be adopted in 14th legislative round.

“We believe in the presence of women as MPs. After these results, it has become vital to introduce a quota system for women to prevent another male-dominated Kuwaiti parliament,” said KTS Chairman Saleh Al-Ghazali.

 Around 62 percent of 400,296 eligible voters flocked to polling stations Thursday, slightly more than the turn-out of the 2009 elections which was at 58 percent.

Observers say the constant political disputes between the legislative and executive authorities throughout the parliament’s 13th legislative round have created an atmosphere of political depression among voters. Along with reforms in the education, health, housing and economic sectors, citizens are concerned with elimination of corruption from state institutions through efficient legislation and civil institutions. Agreeable cooperation between both government authorities is also a top priority.
But the ruling Al-Sabah family holds the key portfolios in the appointed government, members of which can vote in the assembly.

The country has not seen the kind of uprisings that have rocked other parts of the Arab world. But the electoral success of an Islamist-led bloc echoed a trend across the region.

“There’s obviously more traction now for the (Kuwaiti) opposition groups. You have kind of a momentum,” said Shahin Shamsabadi, senior adviser at the Risk Advisory Group.

The vote left the Assembly without any women parliamentarians. Four women, who are not aligned with the opposition and won seats in the last poll, all lost.

“Those who were associated with the government were more likely to lose, whether they were men or women, and those who were confrontational were more likely to win,” said Shafeeq Ghabra, a political scientist at Kuwait University, adding that liberal candidates had suffered for a similar reason.
“I think the middle way lost and many of the liberals were in the middle.”
The opposition had been tipped to expand its influence in parliament in the wake of its success in ousting the unpopular former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, whom it accused of corruption.

That anger came to a head in November when protesters led by opposition MPs stormed the Assembly demanding the resignation of Sheikh Nasser. Soon after, the Amir dismissed his Cabinet — the seventh line-up in six years.
An investigation by the public prosecutor into notably large deposits in the bank accounts of 13 pro-government parliamentarians gave a further boost to the opposition, which said the sums were bribes paid by ministers to MPs for their backing in the Assembly.
Kuwaitis are now waiting for the resignation of their interim government and the appointment of another.
Despite the opposition’s gains, a web of tribal and sectarian loyalties has often undermined the bloc’s ability to come up with a clear programme.
A ban on political parties makes religious and kinship ties the easiest and most effective way of mobilising support.

That has also raised the risk of tribal and sectarian tensions. Earlier this week tribesmen torched the tent of candidate Mohammed al-Juweihel after he insulted their group. A day later they skirmished with police outside the office of a satellite television channel that was hosting his ally.
Tensions between Sunni Islamists and the Shi’ite population have also been re-energised by events in the wider region. Sunni Islamists themselves are also divided, between hardline Salafis, moderates, Muslim Brothers and independents, amongst other groupings.