JNN 06 Dec 2012 Kuwait : Kuwaitis elected a new parliament that is expected to be more cooperative with the government than its predecessor after an opposition boycott of the poll and protests that divided the Persian Gulf Arab state.

The election was the second this year in the oil-rich state, where a series of assemblies have collapsed due to a long-running power struggle between the elected parliament and the cabinet, in which the ruling family holds top posts.

Turnout was 40.3 percent for the poll on Saturday, according to initial figures cited by the Information Ministry, the lowest since and including the first general election held in 1963. Participation in the past three elections was about 60 percent.

The opposition refused to stand in the election, saying a new voting system introduced by the ruling emir would prevent its candidates winning the majority they secured in the last vote in February.

Kuwait’s stock index rallied early on Sunday as investors showed confidence the government would be able to follow through on plans to develop the economy now the opposition was out of the National Assembly.

The political turmoil has held up economic reforms and investment, including a 30 billion dinar ($108 billion) development plan aimed at diversifying the heavily oil-reliant economy and attracting foreign investment.

“It is a pro-government parliament. Now the government can do all the things it wanted to, which it said it was prevented from doing. The question now is, will it do it?” said Kuwait University professor of political science Shafeeq Ghabra.

“While it has a parliament that does not oppose it, there is a population which is on the opposition’s side,” he said, referring to the turnout and protests. “The formula has got more complicated.”

More than half of the candidates elected were new to the 50-seat parliament. Shia candidates won about a third of seats, Kuwaiti media reported. Shia MPs have tended to be more supportive of the government than the opposition in the past. Female candidates were elected to three seats.

“The election result is the foundation for a new start of development and cooperation between the legislative and executive powers to advance Kuwait and all its people,” Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Mubarak al-Sabah said.

The election was divisive due to the change to voting rules announced six weeks ago by Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah, which cut the number of votes per citizen to one from four.

Tens of thousands marched on Friday in what organizers said was the largest protest in Kuwaiti history, to urge people to shun the ballot box in protest at the reform which they said would skew the outcome in favor of pro-government candidates.

The opposition, which includes Islamists, tribal politicians, liberals and leftists, won two-thirds of seats in the National Assembly 10 months ago and formed a bloc that put pressure on the government, forcing two ministers from office. That parliament was dissolved after a June court ruling.

The government said opposition lawmakers used parliament to settle scores rather than helping pass laws needed for economic development. Opposition politicians accused the government of mismanagement and called for an elected cabinet.

Political parties are banned and the affiliations of many of those who stood in the election were unclear, although analysts said the fact they ran in the poll meant they were likely to be more sympathetic to the government than the opposition.

Kuwait has the most open political system among the Persian Gulf Arab states with a parliament that has legislative powers and the ability to scrutinize ministers.

But the emir’s Al Sabah family, which has ruled for 250 years, holds the main government portfolios and Sheikh Sabah has the final say in state matters.

The Shiite Population emerged the main victors in Kuwait’s parliamentary polls boycotted by the opposition which considered the new assembly “illegitimate” amid poor voter turnout.

Shiite candidates bagged 17 of the 50-seat parliament, their biggest tally ever, as they refused to join calls by the Sunni-dominated opposition to boycott the polls in protest against the amendment of electoral law.

Shiites, who form around 30 percent of Kuwait’s native population of 1.2 million, had nine seats in the previous parliament elected in 2009 and seven in the assembly elected in February and later scrapped by a court.

Three women were elected to the new parliament compared to four in 2009, according to results released by the National Election Commission.

The new house includes as many as 30 new faces reflecting the total boycott by former MPs who are leading members of the opposition.

Sunni Islamists were reduced to a small minority of four MPs compared with as many as 23 in the house elected in February.

The boycott was called to protest the government’s unilateral amendment of the key electoral law ahead of the polls. The opposition says the action enabled the government to manipulate the outcome of polls.

The opposition hailed the boycott as very successful as a majority of voters stayed home, and described the election as “unconstitutional.”

The information ministry website however reported that turnout was 38.8 percent and opposition youth groups reported lower percentages. No official figures have been released by the National Election Commission.

The opposition Popular Committee for Boycotting Election said in a statement that the new parliament “does not represent the majority of Kuwaiti people and has lost popular and political legitimacy.”

The Islamist, nationalist and liberal opposition had vowed to continue street protests until it forces the demise of the parliament.

Voting passed off without any incident despite high political tension between the Islamist, nationalist and liberal opposition and the government led by the Al-Sabah ruling family.

The vote, the second in 10 months and the fifth since mid-2006, came nearly two months after the emir dissolved a pro-government parliament following its reinstatement in June by a court ruling.

As per Kuwaiti law, the cabinet must resign and a new government be formed before the new assembly holds its inaugural session within two weeks.

The OPEC member has been rocked by a series of political crises which stalled development despite a huge wealth from oil.

Kuwait, a U.S. ally, has the most open political system among the Persian Gulf Arab states with a parliament that has legislative powers and the ability to scrutinize ministers.

But the emir’s Al-Sabah family, which has ruled Kuwait for 250 years, holds the main portfolios in the cabinet and Sheikh Sabah has the final say in state matters.

“His highness the emir is responsible for the country and knows best how to maintain its stability,” Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad al-Hamoud al-Sabah said.

“Kuwait was, still is and will continue to be a beacon in the Arab world when it comes to the transparency and impartiality of elections,” he said on state news agency KUNA.

University professor Alia Shuaib said women, who received the right to vote in 2005, were still finding it an uplifting experience to cast their ballots.

“I believe it is my duty as a woman and as a Kuwaiti national to vote,” she said.

“It is a pleasure to get up, dress, get my papers and vote. It is breathtaking,” the 45-year-old said.

“I believe every person should vote and put the right people in parliament. We want educated people, the best.”

There are 14 female candidates out of a total of 302. The last parliament contained no female MPs.

The opposition won around two-thirds of the National Assembly in February and formed a bloc that put pressure on the government, forcing two ministers from office.

That parliament was dissolved after a June court ruling, the latest stage in a standoff which has stalled investment and economic reforms.