The National Assembly of Kuwait, known as the Majlis Al-Umma ("House of the Nation") (Arabic: مجلس الأمة), is the legislature of Kuwait. The current speaker of the Assembly is Jassem Al-Kharafi. The Emir unconstitutionally dissolved the National Assembly in 1986 and restored it after the Gulf War in 1992. The Emir has also constitutionally dissolved the Assembly several times--meaning that he dissolved it but allowed for elections immediately afterward.
Until recently, suffrage was limited to male Kuwaiti citizens above the age of 21 whose ancestors had resided in Kuwait since 1920, and adult males who have been naturalized citizens for at least 20 years. On May 16, 2005, however, the Assembly passed a law in support of women's suffrage, allowing women to vote and run for office, as long as they adhere to Islamic law.
The fifty-seat assembly is elected every four years. Currently there are five geographically distributed electoral districts. Every eligible citizen is entitled to four votes, though he or she may choose to only cast one vote. The ten candidates with the most votes in each district win seats. Cabinet ministers (including the prime minister) are granted automatic membership in the Assembly, which increases the number of members in the assembly from fifty to sixty-six. The Cabinet ministers have the same rights as the elected MPs except that: 1) they do not participate in committees' work, and 2) they cannot vote when an interpolation leads to a "no-confidence" vote against one of the Cabinet members.[1]
The parliament building was designed by the famous Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who also designed the Sydney Opera House.[2]
[edit] Dissolving The National Assembly
The Emir of Kuwait has the power to dissolve the assembly and call for new elections within two months. The Emir has done so on five separate occasions. On two such occasions, the assembly was dissolved unconstitutionally, and no new elections were held within the legally required period. The Emir of Kuwait in such cases ruled by decree. The first case was in 1976 and lasted until 1981. The other case lasted from 1986 until 1992. On three other occasions, the Emir dissolved the Assembly and held new elections immediately afterward. This happened in 1999, in 2006, and most recently in March 2008. The 2006 dissolution was brought by what is locally known as the Kuwaiti Orange Movement, when Kuwaitis held mass protests and demonstrations to demand that electoral districts be reduced in number from twenty-five to five.
[edit] National Assembly Members by District
| District | Name | Affiliation | Sect | Prior Experience | Education | Assumed Office | Born In | Tribe |
| 1 | Abdullah Al-Roumi | Independent (Liberal-leaning) | Sunni | Lawyer | Law | 1985 | 1949 | |
| 1 | Abdulwahed AlـAwadhi | Independent | Sunni | Kuwait Air Force | Aviation, US Marine Academy | 2003 | 1955 | |
| 1 | Adnan Zahid Abdulsamad | National Islamic Alliance | Shia | Oil Ministry | Political Science | 1981 | 1950 | |
| 1 | Ahmed Lari | National Islamic Alliance | Shia | Municipal Council | Statistics | 2006 | 1955 | |
| 1 | Hassan Jawhar | Shia (Unaffiliated) | Shia | Professor at Kuwait University | PhD in Political Science | 1996 | 1960 | |
| 1 | Hussein AlـQallaf Al-Bahraini | Shia (Unaffiliated) | Shia | | Sharia | 1996 | 1958 | |
| 1 | Hussein Nasser Al-Huraiti | Independent (close to government) | Sunni | Judge, Lawyer | Law | 2006 | 1962 | Al-Awazem |
| 1 | Mikhled Al-Azmi | Islamist (Salafi) | Sunni | Municipal Council | Geography | 1996 | 1961 | Al-Awazem |
| 1 | Mohammed Al-Kandari | Islamic Salafi Alliance | Sunni | | Medicine | 2008 | 1971 | Al-Kandari |
| 1 | Saleh Ashour | Justice and Peace Alliance | Shia | Kuwait Air Force | Economics | 1999 | 1952 | |
| 2 | Abdulatif AlـAmeeri | Hadas | Sunni | Lawyer | Sharia studies, Kuwait University | 2008 | 1966 | |
| 2 | Ali Al-Rashid | National Democratic Alliance | Sunni | Lawyer | JD, International Arab University | 2003 | 1967 | |
| 2 | Jamaan Al-Harbash | Hadas | Sunni | Professor | PhD in Islamic Ideology | 2006 | 1970 | |
| 2 | Jassem Al-Kharafi | Independent (businessman/liberal) | Sunni | Director of Al-Kharafi Group | Business Administration, Manchester Trade Faculty | 1975 | 1940 | |
| 2 | Khalaf Al-Enezi | Independent (close to government) | Sunni | National Council | Teachers' College | 1981 | 1952 | Al-Enezi |
| 2 | Khaled AlـSultan Bin Essa | Islamic Salafi Alliance | Sunni | Chairman of Kuwait Graduates Society | | 2008 | 1940 | |
| 2 | Marzouq Al-Ghanim | Independent (businessman/liberal-leaning) | Sunni | Petrochemicals | Mechanical Engineering | 2008 | 1968 | |
| 2 | Mohammed Al-Abduljader | National Democratic Alliance | Sunni | Ministry of Finance | PhD in Geopolitics | 2008 | 1964 | |
| 2 | Mohammed AlـMutair | Islamist (businessman/Salafi) | Sunni | Investment Company | Business | 2003 | 1969 | |
| 2 | Mohammed Al-Sager | National Democratic Alliance | Sunni | Banking | Economics | 1999 | 1951 | |
| 3 | Abdulaziz AlـShayji | Hadas | Sunni | Municipal Council | Architectural Engineering, University of Miami | 2008 | 1967 | |
| 3 | Adel Al-Saraawi | Islamist (Independent) | Sunni | Office for Assessment of Iraq Invasion Damage | Accounting | 2003 | 1962 | |
| 3 | Ahmed Al-Mulaifi | Islamist (Independent) | Sunni | Lawyer | MA in Law | 1996 | 1956 | |
| 3 | Ahmed Al-Sadoun | Popular Action Bloc | Sunni | | Literature | 1975 | 1934 | |
| 3 | Ali Al-Omair | Islamic Salafi Alliance | Sunni | Professor | PhD in Chemistry | 2006 | 1958 | |
| 3 | Faisal Al-Muslim Al-Otaib | Islamist (Independent) | Sunni | Professor | MA in Political History, University of Wales | 2003 | 1962 | Al-Otaibi |
| 3 | Nasser Al-Sane | Hadas | Sunni | | PhD in Business Administration | 1992 | 1955 | |
| 3 | Roudhan Al-Roudhan | Conservative | Sunni | Municipal Council | | 2008 | 1965 | |
| 3 | Saleh Al-Mulla | Liberal | Sunni | Diplomat | BA in Business, Kuwait University | 2008 | 1971 | |
| 3 | Waleed AlـTabtabaie | Islamist (Salafi) | Sunni | Professor, Kuwait University | PhD in Islamic Studies, Al-Azhar | 1996 | 1964 | |
| 4 | Ali Al-Daqbaashi | Islamist (close to government) | Sunni | | Management | 2003 | 1965 | Al-Rashaydah |
| 4 | Daifallah Bouramiya | Islamist (Independent) | Sunni | Doctor | MA in Public Health | 2003 | 1957 | Al-Mutairi |
| 4 | Hussein Quwaian Al-Mutairi | Islamist (Independent/tribal) | Sunni | Doctor | Medicine | 2008 | 1968 | Al-Mutairi |
| 4 | Mohammed Al-Rasheedi | Islamist (Independent) | Sunni | Education training | PhD in Law | 2008 | 1964 | Al-Rashaydah |
| 4 | Mohammed Hayef AlـMutairi | Islamist (Salafi) | Sunni | Kuwait Municipality | Islamic Studies | 2008 | 1964 | Al-Mutairi |
| 4 | Askar Al-Enezi | | Sunni | | | 2008 | | Al-Enezi |
| 4 | Musallam AlـBarrak | Popular Action Bloc | Sunni | Municipal Council | Arabic literature | 1996 | 1956 | Al-Mutairi |
| 4 | Nasser Al-Duwailah | Islamist (Independent) | Sunni | Army commander; lawyer | Military science; Sharia | 2008 | 1956 | Al-Rashaydah |
| 4 | Rija Hujailan Al-Mutairi | Independent | Sunni | Ministry of Education | Management | 2008 | 1941 | Al-Mutairi |
| 4 | Saad AlـKhanfour Al-Rasheedi | Independent | Sunni | Interior Ministry | | 2008 | 1965 | Al-Rashaydah |
| 5 | Abdullah AlـBarghash | Islamist (Salafi) | Sunni | Customs Department | Customs Affairs | 2008 | 1962 | Al-Ajman |
| 5 | Abdullah Al-Fahma | Independent (close to government) | Sunni | | | 2003 | 1958 | Al-Awazem |
| 5 | Ali Al-Hajri | Independent (close to government) | Sunni | Kuwait Municipality | Literature | 2003 | 1962 | Al-Hawajir |
| 5 | Essam Al-Dabbous | Independent (close to government) | Sunni | Kuwait Municipality | Arts | 2003 | 1962 | Al-Fadul |
| 5 | Fahad Al-Azmi | Independent (close to government) | Sunni | Interior Ministry | | 1999 | 1954 | Al-Awazem |
| 5 | Jabir Al-Azmi | Islamist (Independent) | Sunni | Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs | Sharia | 2006 | 1970 | Al-Awazem |
| 5 | Marzouq AlـHubaini Al-Azmi | Popular Action Bloc | Sunni | National Council | Business Administration | 1996 | 1952 | Al-Awazem |
| 5 | Mohammed AlـHuwaila Al-Ajmi | Independent | Sunni | Professor | PhD in Management, Yarmouk University | 2008 | 1971 | Al-Ajman |
| 5 | Mohammed Faleh Al-Ajmi | Islamist (Independent) | Sunni | Maritime business | MA in Business Administration | 2008 | 1955 | Al-Ajman |
| 5 | Sadoon Al-Otaibi | Independent | Sunni | | | 2008 | | Al-Otaibi |
Sources: Kuwait Politics Database, 2008 Election Results
[edit] Political Factions
While political parties are not legally recognized in Kuwait, a number of political factions exist. The assembly is composed of different unofficial political factions in addition to independents:
- The Islamic bloc: Consisting mainly of Salafi and Hadas members. The Islamic bloc is the most influential bloc in the assembly with around 21 members elected in the 2008 national elections (17 in the 2006 election), although its loose organization made it less effective. Their chief goal is the complete return of the Shari'a law. Bills supported by the Islamic bloc include the elimination of co-education at the university level (passed in 1998).
- The Shaabi (Populist) bloc: A coalition of independents and other nationalist parties with a focus on lower- and middle-class issues. In 2006 national elections, they won around 10 seats of the parliament.
- The liberal bloc: With eight members elected in the 2006 elections. The liberal bloc supported the women's suffrage bill in 1999 and 2005.
In 2006 general election, a coalition of 29 candidates who were members of parliament was formed (which was increased to 36 members after the election) for supporting the 5 electoral districts bill.
[edit] Significant events
- January 29, 1963- The First constitutionally elected Assembly convened.
- February 27, 1967- The second elected Assembly convened, allegedly by forged elections.
- May 4, 1999- Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dissolved the National Assembly on the grounds of a political deadlock between the Government and the Assembly. This time he called for elections within the constitutional period of two months.
- November 23, 1999- The National Assembly rejects an amiri decree by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to grant women's suffrage in the next elections.
- May 16, 2005- The National Assembly passes women's suffrage law after sevral attempts since the amiri decree of 1999.
- January 29, 2006- Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was sworn in as the 15th emir of Kuwait, which was unanimously approved by the National Assembly.
- May 21, 2006- Amidst week long disputes over reform to decrease the number of electoral districts, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dissolves the Assembly calling for new elections June 29th of 2006.
- March 17, 2008- Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad again dissolves the Assembly due to misuse of parliamentary powers by some members. He called for elections May 17, 2008.
- March 18, 2009 - Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad dissolves the Assembly calling for new elections in two months time. This happened immediately following some members' calls to "grill" (see Politics of Kuwait for a definition of grilling) the prime minister, after months of "grilling" and political deadlock. The government resigned on March the 17th.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
