Kuwait holds parliamentary election under shadow of virus

Kuwaitis went to the polls on Saturday in a parliamentary election overshadowed by Covid-19, with facilities laid on for citizens infected with the disease to vote in special polling stations.

The oil-rich emirate has enforced some of the strictest regulations in the Gulf to combat the spread of the virus, imposing a months-long lockdown earlier this year.

While some of those curbs have been eased, over-the-top campaign events that traditionally draw thousands for lavish banquets were absent from this year's election, while masks remain mandatory and temperature checks are routine when venturing outdoors.

Infected people or those under mandatory quarantine are usually confined to home, with electronic wristbands monitoring their movements.

But in an effort to respect their right to vote, authorities designated five polling stations -- one in each electoral district -- for them to cast their ballots, among the 102 across the country.

Dulled-down campaign

Unlike other oil-rich Gulf states, Kuwait has a lively political life with a parliament elected for four-year terms that enjoys wide legislative powers.

Political disputes are often fought out in the open.

Parties are neither banned nor recognised, and many groups -- including Islamists -- operate freely as de facto parties.

But with more than 143,000 coronavirus cases to date, including 886 deaths, the election campaign has been toned down this year.

The polls, which opened at 8:00 am (0500 GMT), are the first since the new emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, took office in September following the death of his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, at the age of 91.

But with the opposition weakened in recent years, no major political shifts are expected.

A few campaign banners hoisted over the streets have been the only physical reminder of the emirate's political calendar.

(Source: NDTV)