Thousands of Kuwaitis started to vote
Saturday for 274 candidates contesting 50 parliamentary seats in new elections
after the country's emir dissolved parliament in March.
A total of 413 polling stations, located in 97 schools in around Kuwait,
received voters for the early morning, Kuwait's KUNA news agency reported.
Each person can vote for a maximum of four candidates.
Twenty-seven women are running as candidates in the elections, although no
women won any parliamentary seats in the last polls in 2006.
The elections are based on a new law that limits electoral districts to only
five instead of 25, a request demanded by the opposition after the last
elections.
Voting will last for 12 hours, after which the committee of each voting station
will announce the voting results, according to article 31 in Kuwait's election law.
After voting ends, the committees will prepare to declare the final official
turnout.
Kuwait's ruler, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, dissolved parliament in March
after fierce political battles between lawmakers and the cabinet.
Kuwait's parliament has shown for years that it can forcefully question the
government and disagree with its policies.
Islamist and conservative tribal members of parliament managed to obstruct
efforts to give women the right to vote. The legislation finally passed in
2005.
The emir, who is the arbitrator with the last say in politics, told his people
their loyalty should be to their country rather than a tribe, sect or political
faction.
Kuwaitis received their emir's decision to dissolve parliament with a sense of
relief. They are hoping the dissolution would revive a paralyzed political life
and delayed economic reforms
Emirs have dissolved parliament five times since it was set up in 1962,
sometimes leaving the country without a legislature for years.
Each dissolution was the result of disagreements between parliament
and the government, dpa
reported.
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