Kuwait
Parliamentary, May 17 2008
Description of Electoral System:
(courtesy of IFES election guide)
The monarchy is hereditary. In the National Assembly (Majlis al-Umma) 50 members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms.
Electoral Systems Snapshot
(Courtesy of International IDEA)
*Click on links for definitions
| Electoral System for National Legislature | BV |
| Type | Plurality/Majority |
| Tiers | 1 |
| Legislature Size (Directly elected, voting members) | 50, 65 |
| Electoral System for President | - |
WANT MORE ELECTION RELATED STATS FOR KUWAIT? Go to "election databases" on the left-hand menu of this page OR comparative data on the right-hand menu and choose your area of interest.
Kuwait Parliamentary Elections
(courtesy of UNDP-Pogar)
The latest legislative elections in Kuwait took place on May 17, 2008. The number of eligible voters was 361,000, of whom 55% were women. For the first time Kuwaiti voters went to the polls to elect the 50 members of parliament according to the system of large electoral districts which include 5 districts instead the previous 25 electoral districts. Read more
Did you know?
Kuwaiti women were allowed to vote for the first time in 2006 parliamentary elections, and run as candidates in 2005.
Politics of Kuwait
(courtesy of wikipedia)
Politics of Kuwait takes place in a framework of a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, whereby the Emir is the head of government. The State of Kuwait (Dawlat al Kuwayt) has been ruled by the al-Sabah dynasty since approximately 1752. The constitution, approved and promulgated on November 11, 1962, calls for direct elections to a unicameral parliament (the National Assembly). Despite the regular holding of relatively free and fair elections to the National Assembly, Kuwait is not a democracy by the usual definition of the term because the prime minister is not responsible to parliament.
