Kuwait goes to the polls for second time in year

Frustrated Kuwaitis are to vote in the country's second general election in a year on Saturday amid expectations of a low turnout, Islamists losing ground and women winning their first seats.

The fresh ballot is taking place after Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah dissolved the OPEC-member Gulf state's 10-month old parliament in March, triggering the third election since May 2006.

The new vote follows a series of disputes between elected MPs and the unelected cabinet chosen by the Al Sabah family that has ruled the oil-rich emirate since 1756.

A total of 210 hopefuls are standing for the 50 seats in the new parliament, which Kuwaitis hope will break the political deadlock that has stalled major development projects in the emirate.

Analysts see little hope the results will achieve political stability.

A new crisis could break out quickly as the new parliament will be asked to give retrospective approval to a multi-billion dollar economic stimulus package already implemented by the government.

Nevertheless, almost all candidates and many civil society groups have called on Kuwaiti citizens to go and vote.

Though the al-Sabahs appoint the ministers, Kuwait's parliament has legislative and monitoring powers and can vote ministers out of office.

The election has a crucial "to be or not to be" role in deciding Kuwait's future, said US-educated female candidate Aseel al-Awadhi.

The candidates include 16 women, down from 27 in each of the past two elections but analysts expect the first female MPs to be elected this time.

Women are standing and voting for only the third time and no female candidate won a seat in the previous polls.

About six Sunni and Shiite Islamist, liberal and nationalist opposition groups are fielding some 22 candidates and backing about 15 others, according to an AFP survey.

Kuwaiti tribes, which constitute half of the electorate, are fielding around 36 candidates, selected after the staging of tribal primary elections despite these being banned by law.

Thirty-six members of the outgoing parliament and 15 from previous parliaments are seeking re-election.

The electorate is to vote at 94 polling centres in schools, 47 each for men and women who vote separately in line with the law.

The country has a population of 3.44 million as of the end of 2008 but two thirds of those are foreigners and only 385,000 people are eligible to vote from amongst the native population of 1.1 million.

Voting age is 21 and servicemen in the police and army are banned from taking part in the ballot.

Women voters make up 54.3 percent of the electorate.

The polls are to open at 8:00 am (0500 GMT) and close 12 hours later, with the first results expected early on Sunday as ballot papers are still counted manually.

The interior ministry has mobilised some 8,000 policemen for election day.

Kuwait, which says it sits on 10 percent of global crude reserves, pumps 2.2 million barrels a day.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM