Kuwait voters head to polls to pick new parliament | Elections News [Video]

Voters in Kuwait are heading to the polls to elect new members of parliament as political disputes in recent years have created a deadlock between the National Assembly and the ruling family.

Thursday’s election is the first under the new emir, Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad Al Sabah, 83, who took over in December after the death of his half-brother, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al Sabah.

An estimated 835,000 Kuwaitis are eligible to vote in the Gulf state of 4.2 million people. About 200 candidates are vying to fill 50 seats.

This is the fourth election in the OPEC member state since December 2020.

There have been concerns of low voter turnout, prompting the emir to warn the public against boycotting the process.

Sheikh Mishal dissolved parliament on February 15 citing violations of the constitution, after the body refused to reprimand a politician for allegedly insulting him.

He had criticised the National Assembly and the government in his first speech before parliament after taking over, saying they were “harming the …