31 new assembly members as Kuwaitis vote for reform

Kuwait’s national assembly will have 31 new members after the first election since new emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah took office in September.

Results announced on Sunday showed that opposition candidates won 24 of the assembly’s 50 seats, up from 16 in the previous parliament.

None of the 29 female candidates won and the only female assembly member lost her seat, but the election of 30 candidates under the age of 45 sent out a promising signal to young Kuwaitis hoping for change and reform.

“There is a big change in the composition of the new national assembly,” Kuwaiti analyst Ayed Al-Manaa said.

“This is an indication of the voters’ anger over the performance of the previous parliament and of their desire for change in economics, health, education and public services.”

Lulwa Saleh Al-Mulla, head of the Kuwaiti Women’s Cultural and Social Society, welcomed the new younger members in the assembly but was disappointed by the lack of women’s representation.

Prime Minister Sabah Al-Sabah’s Cabinet resigned in a routine procedure after the election.

Sheikh Nawaf will appoint a prime minister to select a new Cabinet and the assembly will meet on Dec. 15.

Kuwait’s economy, which is worth nearly $140 billion, is facing a deficit of $46 billion this year.

A government priority is to pass deadlocked legislation that would allow Kuwait to tap international debt markets.