Opposition groups secure nearly 60% of Kuwait's National Assembly

By Ahmed Yousef

KUWAIT CITY (AA) - Kuwaiti opposition groups secured nearly 60% of the seats in the 50-seat National Assembly, according to the final results of early parliamentary elections announced on Friday.

According to the results, only 23 members of the previous parliament managed to keep their seats in the new parliament, while 27 are new members.

The state-run KUNA news agency said 305 candidates, including 22 female candidates, ran for seats in the assembly.

The number of representatives of the Shia bloc rose from six to nine.

Two people who are currently in jail also won seats.

The Muslim Brotherhood group in Kuwait, known as the Islamic Constitutional Movement (Hadas), secured five seats, the same number as in the previous parliament.

While the previous National Assembly had no women members, the results showed at least two women joining the body.

On Thursday, Kuwaiti voters cast ballots in the Gulf country’s parliamentary elections, the second such vote in two years.

Last month, Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who has taken on most of the ruling emir's duties, dissolved the National Assembly, citing a political standoff between the government and the legislature.

The National Assembly is the Gulf state’s legislative authority and is mandated to observe the work of the executive authority and issue laws, which come into effect after being ratified by the country's ruler.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar