Kuwait Annuls 2022 Parliamentary Election Results

Policy Brief Program

March 2023

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Kuwaiti Parliament Annulment:

• On March 19, Kuwait’s Constitutional Court issued a ruling annulling the results of the 2022 parliamentary election and calling for the reinstatement of the former National Assembly. 
  • According to the court order, the previous parliament will be reinstated immediately, including the return of long-term government supporter Marzouq Al Ghanim to the role of National Assembly Speaker. Ghanim’s return to leadership is expected to heighten debate between the government and the opposition.
• The ruling was based on four petitions challenging the electoral process filed by former members of parliament who failed to gain re-election. 
  • The final verdict stated that the decree dissolving the 2020 parliament was unconstitutional, citing “discrepancies.”
  • As a result, the 2022 election mandate and results were invalidated. 
• According to constitutional law expert Dr. Mohammed Al Faili, laws passed by the 2022 parliament will likely remain in place. 
• The reinstated National Assembly is expected to hold office until the 2024 general elections unless a decree is issued stating otherwise. 

Background:

• Kuwait is the only Gulf state with a fully elected parliament, but the institution has often suffered from instability amid conflict with the government.
  • In June 2022, Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah dissolved the 2020 parliament, citing a fiscal reform dispute “torn by disagreement and personal interests.”
  • His decree was welcomed by opposition figures, who were expected to perform well in coming elections.
  • Those same parliamentary disputes also prompted Kuwait’s government to resign in April 2022, the sixth government in three years. 
• The subsequent parliamentary elections in September 2022 represented a victory for Islamist opposition members, who secured 28 out of 50 seats. 
• The opposition members in parliament have clashed with the government after accusing the ruling family of mismanaging public funds.
  • Due to this controversy, the parliament has been unable to pass basic economic reforms, including a law allowing the government to borrow money. 
  • As a result, Kuwait’s general reserve fund has begun to deplete, despite the country’s lucrative oil trade.