Kuwaiti women win seats in parliament for first time

Women won four seats in Kuwait's parliament, a first in the Gulf Arab state's history, but with many of the same faces back, Saturday's election is unlikely to end a political deadlock that has delayed economic reforms.

Sunni Islamists lost some ground while Shi'ites and liberals made small gains, but analysts said the changes were not enough to end a long-running standoff between parliament and government that has pushed Kuwait from one crisis to the next.

"This is a step forward, this is a historic election... but the so-called deadlock MPs are also back and we hope they change course," said Ali al-Baghli, a former oil minister.

Kuwait's ruler, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, called the election after dissolving the assembly two months ago to end its standoff with the cabinet, which includes ruling family members.

The move allowed the government and ruler to push ahead with a $5bn economic stimulus package to soften the effects of the global financial crisis, which had faced opposition in parliament.

The new assembly must now vote on the plan.

Some analysts say the appointment of a strong prime minister and cabinet is key to resolving Kuwait's political crisis.

Kuwait has had five cabinets in the past three years, and the ruler has reappointed his nephew, Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammad Al Sabah, as prime minister every time.

Successive cabinets have been bogged down by allegations of corruption or misconduct from parliamentary deputies.

"We need to have a government that is able to lead and move forward with reforms... I think there is a possibility that we will see a similar crisis," said political analyst Shafiq Ghabra.

"The question is which way will the government move?"

There are no political parties in Kuwait, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, which means lawmakers can easily shift alliances depending on the issue at stake, making it hard to predict how the new assembly is likely to work with the cabinet.

While parliament has tended to be dominated by tribesmen and Islamists, liberals have often joined in opposition to major economic projects and efforts to trim the welfare state.

Sunni Islamists won around 11 seats on Saturday, down from some 21 in the last assembly, Reuters calculated based on a list of names published by state news agency KUNA.

Liberals won about eight seats, up from around seven. Lawmakers from the Shi'ite Muslim community, about a third of the Kuwaiti population, rose by four to nine.

The rest went to tribesmen who have long dominated the assembly.

Kuwait's first women lawmakers include Massouma Al Mubarak, who became Kuwait's first female minister in 2005, the year women were first given the right to vote and run for office.

The others are US-educated professors Salwa Al Jassar and Aseel Al Awadhi and leading economist Rola Dashti.

Women won no seats in the 2006 and 2008 elections in the conservative state where politics is still seen as a male game.

The Salafist Movement, a Sunni Islamist bloc, had urged voters to boycott women candidates during the election campaign.

Although its political system resembles Western democracy more closely than that of any other nation in the Gulf Arab region, Kuwait has fallen behind neighbours like Dubai, which have grown into commercial, financial and tourist centres.

Parliament has blocked many of Kuwait's major projects and last year the state was forced to rescue a bank.

Kuwait scrapped a tender to build a $15 billion refinery under pressure from deputies who alleged tender violations.

Project Kuwait, a plan to boost output capacity, has never made it beyond committee level because of opposition from some MPs to the involvement of foreign firms in the energy sector.

Parliament has yet to pass a law establishing a regulator to bring more transparency to the second-largest Arab bourse.

Deputies have instead focused on questioning ministers over alleged graft or misconduct. The government, dominated by the ruling family, baulks at allowing ministers to be questioned.

"There is a big change for the first time. But it will be more clear after a new cabinet is formed and when parliament votes on the rescue package," said Rashed, a Kuwaiti in his 30s. (Reuters)

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