Kuwaiti National Assembly Elections 2009

The Kuwaiti national Assembly (Parliament) elections came after a dissolving decree from Kuwait's ruler Sheikh Sabah Al-Sabah, that was justified by the lack of cooperation between the National Assembly and the Government. The most surprising in the 2009 elections was the winning of 4 women (from 3 different districts, out of 5 districts). Women in Kuwait were granted their political rights in 2005, and in 2006 elections were held but no woman won any of the 50 chairs in the parliament, now in 2009 FOUR women made it!

The women elected to the 50-member national assembly in Kuwait are, from left, Aseel al-Awadi, Rola Dashti, Salwa al-Jassar and Massouma al-Mubarak. Women gained the right to vote and run for office in 2005, but Islamists urged voters not to elect any.

These 4 Kuwaiti women are the first to make it to the parliament and by that they are placed in the first line of decision making and are official speakers of the people in Kuwait and the Gulf countries, however with this lovely achievement the over all newly elected members in the up coming National Assembly are not so different from the previous ones, there are changes and very surprising results for the increase & decrease in the popularity of some very old candidates who used to be in the top ranks, I personally do not have my hopes up but wish for the best and wish for this parliament to last longer than the one proceeding it.

In my personal opinion the two biggest highlights in the 2009 elections are the women wining 4 chairs, for the first time will enter our National Assembly, and the Kuwaiti people's wish for change that reflects their hopes for ending the increasing uncooperative relation between the Government and the National Assembly.

I am very proud of the winning of four Kuwaiti women and hope for more awareness and focus towards the really important issues that will make a new brighter Kuwaiti future.