Kuwaitis voted yesterday in the second general election in 10 months, as the opposition boycotted the polls, claiming turnout was very low and that Parliament has lost all of its legitimacy.
The vote comes nearly two months after the Emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, dissolved a pro-government parliament following its reinstatement in June by a court ruling that also annulled an assembly elected in February.
Prominent opposition figure and former MP Faisal al-Muslim claimed on his Twitter account that three hours before the polls were due to close, turnout was around 17 per cent.
A number of Opposition figures also charged that some voters had been given two ballot papers in a bid to create the appearance of a higher turnout.
“The Kuwaiti people have succeeded in bringing down (this) election by not taking part,” opposition leader and former MP Mussallam al-Barrak said on Twitter.
Former Parliament Speaker and Opposition leader Ahmad al-Saadun said Friday’s opposition march and the boycott had taken away “popular and political legitimacy” from the next parliament and government.
Waleed al-Tabtabai, a former Islam-ist MP, said on Twitter that turnout would not exceed 15...
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