All 50 seats will be contested in the elections to the National Assembly, once a beacon for democracy in the Gulf. As has been the case at previous elections, political parties will be barred, leaving candidates to align with one of five blocs in the chamber: Al-Dastoriya (Islamists); Al-Salaf (the elder Mohammedian); Al-Taqafiya (reformist); liberals; and independents. In the last election, Islamist and liberal candidates made strong gains at the expense of those deemed to be government supporters.
Some of the major election issues will be:
Relations with Iraq under a new regime
Economic liberalisation and the development of the non-oil economy
Enactment of a foreign direct investment law and changes to the tax laws of 1959
Offering employment to fresh Kuwaiti graduates
Internal security and countering the threat from Al-Qaeda
Governmental corruption and inefficiency
Granting of the franchise to women and allowing them to stand in future elections.
You might also like...
McDermott completes financial restructuring exercise
28 March 2024
Region heads for hotel boom
28 March 2024
Lowest bidders emerge for Kuwait housing project
28 March 2024
Redcon wins Red Sea Triple Bay infrastructure deal
28 March 2024
A MEED Subscription...
Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.