Rookie Beats Veteran Mps For Kuwait Seat

21 February 2016 Kuwait

An independent newcomer has beaten two former lawmakers to win a vacant seat in Kuwait’s parliament.

With 7,281 votes, Ali Abdullah Al Khamees emerged a clear winner in the by-elections held to vote in a new lawmaker from the Third Constituency to replace Nabeel Al Fadhel, who died during a parliamentary session in late December.

Al Khamees’ nearest competitor, Abdullah Ahmad Al Kandari, received 4,836 votes, well ahead of Osama Al Tahus, a former lawmaker, who managed 3,647 votes and Hesham Al Baghli, another former member of parliament, with 2,686.

Nabeel’s son, Ahmad, who was also contesting in the by-elections on Saturday, came took fifth place with 1,314 votes. The conservative electorate’s strong bias against women reflected in the vote, with the two women candidates for the seat getting only around 20 votes each, ranking them 26th and 27th out of 34 candidates.

The turnout for the by-elections, held on the second day of the weekend, was less than 25 per cent, according to local media.

The Al Rai daily said that the unofficial turnout was around 22 per cent, with 10,609 male voters out of 37,278 casting their ballots. The daily added that 7,783 women out of 43,940 showed up at polling centres. The committee overseeing the by-elections had set up 20 polling stations, equally divided between male and female voters.

According to one report, few young voters showed up in the by-elections while senior citizens and people with special needs made for a big presence. Al Khamees will take the oath as the 50th member of the Kuwaiti parliament on March 1 when the House reconvenes.

In a cable congratulating Al Khamees, Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah wished the new lawmaker “success in serving the national interests of the beloved homeland”. Shaikh Sabah also congratulated citizens on the success of the by-elections and lauded “the great role of judiciary, interior ministry and ministry of information in this regard.”

Shaikh Sabah also commended the great cooperation from voters, Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) reported late on Saturday. Al Khamees was also greeted by Crown Prince Shaikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah and Prime Minister Shaikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah.

 

SOURCE : GULFNEWS

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