The Islamist Winter rolls on.
KUWAIT CITY (AP) — Opposition groups that include hard-line Islamists have taken control of Kuwait’s parliament, according to election results Friday, in a rise that could limit the hands of pro-Western rulers in dealings such as U.S. plans to boost its military presence in the oil-rich Gulf nation.
The conservative surge also left the 50-seat assembly without any women lawmakers.
The outcome highlights the growing pressures on Kuwait’s ruling family after months of political upheavals that included charges of high-level corruption and outrage over crackdowns on anti-government demonstrations and other dissenting voices.
Although Kuwait’s rulers retain full control over key government posts, the country’s parliament is one of the few elected bodies in the Gulf that can challenge policies and bring no-confidence motions against officials. The strengthened opposition could now exert even more sway over the emir and his inner circle over issues ranging from foreign policies to social rules, such as proposals to keep women from competing in international sporting events.
Official results from Thursday‘s election gave 14 seats to Islamists that share many views with groups such as Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, which made strong gains in the first elections after the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak. Tribal-based lawmakers also took 20 seats in Kuwait – giving conservative-leaning blocs a clear majority.