Kuwaiti voters headed to polling stations early on Thursday to elect a new National Assembly in a heated parliamentary race contested by hundreds of contenders, including many women, as KUNA reported. Polling for the 50-seat National Assembly started at 8 a.m. local time and will continue until 8 p.m. Some 400,000 male and female registered voters aged 21 years and above can cast ballot. Up to 286 candidates, including 23 women, are running for the new parliament throughout Kuwait's five constituencies, each to be represented by 10 members of parliament. There were four women parliamentarians in the last National Assembly, dissolved by Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on December 6, following resignation of the government of Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, on November 28. The elections are distinguished with unprecedented monitoring civil society organizations to guarantee transparency and preserve integrity of the electoral process. Candidates had been campaigning since the dissolution of the previous parliament and the campaigning has become fiercer with the approach of the election day. Most of the nominees had called for the achievement of economic and social development, equality, social justice and strengthening of national unity. The government was keen on insuring transparent and fair elections.
