Maybe Kuwaiti men are just letting Kuwaiti women know what they
really think of them:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----
May 19, 2008
Islamists Win 24 of 50 Seats in Parliament of Kuwait
By ROBERT F. WORTH
BEIRUT, Lebanon =97 Islamist candidates won 24 of 50 seats in Kuwait=92s
parliamentary elections on Saturday, a gain of two seats over their
total in the last round of elections there two years ago, according to
official results released Sunday.
Liberal candidates and their allies won seven seats, one fewer than in
the last round. None of the 27 women who ran won in what was the
second election since women were granted the right to vote and run for
office in 2005.
Economic issues dominated the monthlong election campaign, and it was
not clear how the Islamists=92 greater share of power would affect the
Kuwaiti Parliament, one of the most powerful and active legislatures
in the Arab world. There are no legally recognized political parties
in Kuwait, and affiliation is flexible.
=93It=92s a sign of a more conservative mood in the society,=94 said
Nasser
al-Sane, an Islamist candidate who won a seat. =93But to have a
conservative color does not mean that we are against economic reform.=94
Tribally oriented candidates, who, like Islamists, tend to be
conservative on social issues, also did well, Mr. Sane added.
Kuwait=92s emir, Sheik Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, dissolved the Parliament
in March after cabinet ministers resigned, saying they were frustrated
by repeated confrontations with lawmakers.
The election campaign itself was a striking departure from the past
because of a new election law that reduced the number of districts to
5 from 25, forcing candidates to take their messages to many more
constituents. Lawmakers fought for the change in 2006, arguing that
the smaller districts allowed candidates to buy votes more easily.
Voters chose up to four candidates in their respective districts.
The campaign relied heavily on the media, with new newspapers and
satellite TV stations carrying election coverage intensively. In the
past, candidates depended mostly on personal ties with voters at
diwaniyas, traditional evening social gatherings.
Candidates from Kuwait=92s minority ****ite community won five seats, one
more than the last round. They were energized by a dispute in February
when the authorities questioned former ****ite members of the Kuwaiti
Parliament who had sent condolences to the militant ****ite group
Hezbollah after the assassination of Imad Mugniyah, one of its top
commanders.
Economic reform was an im****tant issue for many voters. Despite its
vast oil wealth, Kuwait has let hospitals, schools and roads crumble,
and some citizens would like to emulate the more vibrant private
sectors of Persian Gulf neighbors like the United Arab Emirates and
Qatar.
About 360,000 people were eligible to vote of a population of 2.6
million. Foreigners =97 more than a third of the population =97 cannot
vote.
Home
World U.S. N.Y. / Region Business Technology Science Health S****ts
Opinion Arts Style Travel Jobs Real Estate Automobiles Back to Top
Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company
Privacy Policy Search Corrections RSS First Look Help Contact Us Work
for Us Site Map
|
