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Saturday, December 1, 2012

Kuwaiti women hope to return to parliament


Kuwaiti women hope to re-enter as deputies in Parliament that the vote today. Will the fifth elections involving since winning the right to vote in this small Gulf emirate in 2005. And so policies as Mubarak Maasuma expect women to achieve results closer to 2009, when four candidates for the first time achieved a seat in the National Assembly, composed of 50 members. "I hope that three or four women to enter parliament this time," said Mubarak. Zekra to Rashidi was also optimistic: "I hope the Kuwaiti voters, because a woman's vote is a free vote." These are the second elections held this year. The above, in January, were settled without any women were elected to parliamentThen, the share reached a record 60% and the Islamist opposition won a majority of seats. Back in those days, analysts gave the House not long to live. But that barrier is now 60% off. "So far the participation is still very low" , notes George Irani, a professor at the American University of Kuwait. "If you stay less than 40% would be a problem," he adds. That would mean that the boycott supporters have won.

Eight candidates less

Polling stations have closed at 20.00 local time (18.00 hours in Spain) and the results are expected before midnight tonight. They were called 422,569 voters to the polls. , 56% of them are women . Voters choose among 307 candidates, of whom 14 are women, less than eight candidates in the January elections. New for this vote is that a decree just reform the Electoral cutting the number of votes per person four to one. The ten candidates with the most votes win seats in each district. The opposition opposes this decree because he thinks that reducing the number of votes candidates will benefit close to the government, which is equal to that royal family. The prime minister is handpicked by the emir, Sheikh Sabah al Ahmad al Sabah, 83. Therefore, many Kuwaitis oppose this campaign and have called for a boycott. Tens of thousands marched yesterday through the streets of the capital calling Kuwaiti citizens not to participate in the elections. "People want to topple the decree!" Protesters claimed echoing one of the most famous verses of the Arab revolutions.

High volatility

The march was permitted by the authorities. Kuwait has one of the more open political systems in their environment . But the emirate is engaged in a high-political volatility since 2006 there have been five terms in Parliament, which has gone to accrue from early 2011. That year, a wave of protests in the square in Kuwait City Erada brought down the Cabinet, with the Prime Minister-a nephew of the emir head. While the Arab Spring has had no direct impact on the questioning of the monarchy, there is an opposition movement in Kuwait that demands democratic reforms and greater transparency against corruption .In fact, what has been an ongoing dispute between the government and the National Assembly, is becoming since last year in a debate about the balance of power between the emir and Parliament in the country with the sixth world oil reserves.

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