According to official results, opposition candidates won 29 seats in the 50-member parliament, roughly in line with last year's poll results.
Opposition politicians have retained a majority in Kuwait's parliament, it emerged after the country's third parliamentary vote in recent years.
Thursday's vote was taken by the new emir, Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who took power late last year after the death of his half-brother and predecessor, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. It was held for the first time under .
State news agency KUNA reported on Friday that opposition candidates won 29 seats in the 50-member parliament, matching last year's election results.
The results also showed that one female candidate was elected, as in the previous parliament, and Shiite Muslims secured eight seats in the Sunni-majority country, one more than last year. . The Islamic Constitution Movement, which represents the Kuwaiti branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, has one seat, down from three.
Overall, the composition of the new parliament is very similar to the one to be abolished, with all but 11 politicians retaining their seats.
“We did not expect a dramatic change in the results,” said Bader al-Saif, assistant professor of history at Kuwait University.
“This is one of the lowest volatility,” he told AFP news agency.
According to the Ministry of Information, turnout was about 62% after polling stations closed at midnight.
Parliamentary elections are an annual tradition in Kuwait, which has 7 percent of the world's oil reserves and the most powerful elected parliament in the monarchical Gulf.
But disputes between parliament and the king-appointed cabinet have led to a constant stalemate, delaying much-needed reforms. This is the third time the vote has been held since 2022 and the fourth time in the last five years.
political showdown
Al-Saif said there will be little change in the face of parliament, and the political deadlock is expected to continue.
“A new showdown is underway,” he said, adding that “some of the new faces are very outspoken.”
Sheikh Mishal is keen to push for economic reforms, an apparent attempt to help OPEC producers catch up with Gulf countries, which are implementing ambitious plans to wean their economies off oil. say observers.
In his first speech in parliament since taking office in December, the 83-year-old criticized the previous parliament and the government, saying they were “undermining the interests of the country and the people.”
The government of Sheikh Ahmed al-Nawaf resigned hours after the speech. Sheikh Mohammed Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah established a new government, including new ministers of oil, finance, foreign affairs, interior affairs, and defence.
Sheikh Mishal then dissolved parliament on February 15, less than two months after taking office. His decree cited Parliament's “violation of constitutional principles” as the reason for its dissolution.
The new parliament will be tasked with approving the selection of a crown prince to become Kuwait's future head.
If parliament takes the unprecedented step of rejecting a successor, Sheikh Mishal will present three candidates to parliament to choose from.