The country will hold parliamentary elections to select the 50 elected members of its 65-seat National Assembly on Feb. 2. The parliament, described by the New York Times as “powerful and truculent,” is the sole source of legislation in Kuwait. However, the Emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber, rules the country and appoints the head of the government. And although women were given the vote in 2006, less than 14% (340,248) of the 2.6 million population is permitted to vote, according to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). As TIME’s Aryn Baker reported, Kuwaiti politics has not been immune to the recent regional turmoil. The entire cabinet resigned in November amid opposition protests over claims of high-level corruption. The emir subsequently sacked longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammad Al Sabah. See TIME’s 1967 article on the advent of Kuwaiti democracy here.
Ballot Box Watch: Your Guide to February Elections
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