National Assembly (Kuwait)

National Assembly of Kuwait
14th Legislative Session
Coat of Arms of the State of Kuwait
Type
Type	Unicameral
Term limits	None
History
New session started	August 6, 2013
Leadership
Speaker	Marzouq Ali al-Ghanim Since August 6, 2013
Deputy Speaker	Mubarak Bunaiah al-Khurainej Since August 6, 2013
Secretary	Adel Musaad al-Khorafi Since October 28, 2014
Controller	Abdullah Ibrahim al-Tamimi Since October 27, 2015
Structure
Seats	50 elected members Up to 15 appointed members
Length of term	Four years
Elections
Voting system	Single non-transferable vote
Last election	July 27, 2013
Next election	July 27, 2017
Meeting place
Building of the National Assembly of Kuwait Kuwait City, Kuwait
Website
kna.kw

The National Assembly (Arabic: مجلس الأمة‎), is the legislature of Kuwait. The current speaker of the house is Marzouq Al-Ghanim. The Constitutional Court constitutionally dissolved the house in June 2013, subsequently issuing a decree for new elections.

Overview

The National Assembly is the legislature in Kuwait.^[1] The National Assembly has the power to remove government ministers from their post. MPs frequently exercise their constitutional right to interpellate government members. The National Assembly's interpellation sessions of ministers are aired on Kuwaiti TV. MPs also have the right to interpellate the prime minister, and then table a motion of non-cooperation with the government, in which case the cabinet must get replaced.

The National Assembly can have up to 50 MPs. Fifty deputies are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. Members of the cabinet also sit in the parliament as deputies. The constitution limits the size of the cabinet to 16, and at least one member of the cabinet must be an elected MP. The cabinet ministers have the same rights as the elected MPs, with the following two exceptions: they do not participate in the work of committees, and they cannot vote when an interpolation leads to a no-confidence vote against one of the cabinet members.

The National Assembly is the main legislative power in Kuwait. The Emir can veto laws but the National Assembly can override his veto by a two-third vote. The National Assembly (per article 4 of the Constitution) has the constitutional right to approve and disapprove of an Emir's appointment. The National Assembly effectively removed Saad al-Sabah from his post in 2006 because of Saad's inability to rule due to illness. Kuwait's National Assembly is the most independent parliament in the Arab world,^[2] it is among the strongest parliaments in the Middle East.^[3]

Dissolutions

The Constitutional Court has the authority to dissolve the house and must subsequently call for new elections within two months. The Constitutional Court is widely believed to be one of the most judicially independent courts in the Arab world.^[4] The Emir also has the authority to dissolve the house and must subsequently call for new elections within two months. The Constitutional Court can invalidate the Emir's decree dissolving the parliament.

Building

The parliament building was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who also designed Sydney Opera House.

Political factions

While political parties are not legally recognized in Kuwait, a number of political factions exist. The house is composed of different political factions in addition to independents:

• The liberal, secular bloc: Ten members were elected in the 2013 elections, making them the largest political bloc in the current parliament.
• The Shaabi (populist) bloc: A coalition of populists (Sunni and Shia), liberals and nationalist parties with a focus on middle-class issues. The Popular Action Bloc is their main political party.
• The Islamist bloc: Consisting of Sunni Islamist members. The Islamist bloc has 3 members elected in the 2013 national elections.

See also

• Politics of Kuwait
• Government of Kuwait
• Elections in Kuwait
• List of Speakers of Kuwait National Assembly
• Kuwait National Assembly No-Confidence Votes

References

1. Robert F. Worth (2008). "In Democracy Kuwait Trusts, but Not Much". New York Times.
2. Nathan J. Brown. "Mechanisms of accountability in Arab governance: The present and future of judiciaries and parliaments in the Arab world" (PDF). pp. 16–18.
3. Eran Segal. "Kuwait Parliamentary Elections: Women Making History" (PDF). Tel Aviv Notes. p. 1.
4. "Kuwait court ruling may threaten economic recovery". Reuters. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.

External links

• Kuwait National Assembly website