Turnout high in generation-critical poll

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 29: Polling stations closed for the National Assembly elections 2022, the 17th legislative term at eight o’clock in the evening local time on Thursday. The vote counting process began shortly, and will be later followed by announcing the official results and naming the winners for the next four years. Voters continued throughout the day, precisely for 12 consecutive hours, starting at eight in the morning, in five electoral constituencies, and voters used the one-vote system to select 50 members of the National Assembly from among 305 male and female candidates.

In the first electoral constituency, 48 male and female candidates have competed to win the votes of their constituency, which are 100,185 male and female voters. In the second constituency, also 48 male and female candidates competed for 10 seats in the constituency, a total of 90,478 voters.

In the third constituency, 47 male and female candidates competed for the votes of 138,364 male and female voters. In the fourth constituency, 80 male and female candidates are competing for 208,971 electoral votes. The 82 candidates in the fifth constituency are seeking to collect the votes of their 257,913 male and female voters.

The voting process witnessed tours to polling stations, to check on the progress of the election process, initiated by the Acting Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Acting Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Oil, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Dr. Mohammad Al-Faris.

Turnout
Meanwhile, Minister of Justice, Minister of State for Nazaha (Integrity) Enhancement and Minister of Awqaf (Endowment) and Islamic Affairs Jamal Al-Jalawi said on Thursday that voters turnout for the 2022 National Assembly elections for the 17th legislative term was high. Speaking to KUNA during a visit to a polling station in the first constituency, Minister Al-Jalawi affirmed that the elections, which began at 8:00 a.m. localtime, have thus far been successful in achieving the leadership’s vision to correct the political process in the country. The Ministry of Justice provided its employees at polling stations across the country with all that was necessary to ensure the success of elections, indicated the minister.

On his part, undersecretary at the Ministry of Justice Omar Al-Sharqawi said that transparency was necessary in this current elections and the voting process, which was scheduled to close at 8:00 p.m. The official revealed that the total number of election committees had amounted to 1,157 with 118 main, 641 subcommittees and 393 reserve in all of the five constituencies in the country.

A total of 1,164 advisors, judges and members of the Public Prosecution Office, including 764 primary and 400 reserve judges and prosecutors, have been tasked to oversee the National Assembly Election on Thursday, reports Al-Anba daily.

A judicial source explained that they will supervise the main and sub-committees; indicating there are 69 female judges and prosecutors who will supervise the parliamentary elections for the first time in history, in addition to a number of Egyptian advisors and judges. He stated that the female judges — 49 primary and 20 reserve — are assigned committees in the first, second, third and fourth constituencies. So far, two female candidates will be part of the 50-member legislature. Following are the partial election results per constituency as of press time:

First Constituency

1. Abdullah Al-Mudaf: 3,726
2. Hassan Jawhar: 3,386
3. Osama Zaid Al-Zaid: 3,243
4. Ahmed Hajji Lari: 2,315
5. Essa Al-Kandari: 2,110
6. Adel Jassem Al-Damkhi: 2,078
7. Hamad Muhammad Al-Medlej: 1,776
8. Osama Al-Shaheen: 1,744
9. Saleh Ahmed Ashour: 1,659
10. Ali Al-Qattan: 1,113
11. Dawoud Maarefi: 1,014
12. Ahmed Al-Shohoumi: 888
13. Khalid Al-Tmar Al-Omaira: 833
14. Bassel Husain Al-Bahrani: 740
15. Ghader Asiri: 576

Second Constituency

1. Bader Al-Mullah: 4,758
2. Muhammad Barrak Al-Mutair: 2,683
3. Shuaib Ali Shabaan: 1,854
4. Khalil Al-Saleh: 1,777
5. Alia Al-Khalid: 1,556
6. Hamad Al-Matar: 1,534
7. Falah Dahi Al-Hajri: 1,474
8. Hamad Mehri Al-Bazali: 1,410
9. Abdulwahab Al-Essa: 1,320
10. Abdullah Turki Al-Anbaie: 1,208
11. Ahmed Al-Hamad: 1,138
12. Fahd Abdulaziz Al-Masoud: 1,137

Third Constituency

1. Ahmed Al-Saadoun: 5,603
2. Mehalhal Al-Mudaf: 3,104
3. Abdulrahman Al-Kandari: 2,996
4. Muhannad Al-Sayer: 2,650
5. Abdulaziz Al-Saqaabi: 2,290
6. Jenan Muhssen Bu Shehri: 2,041
7. Ammar Muhammad Al-Ajmi: 1,582
8. Khalil Abdullah Abul: 1,551
9. Hamad Adel Al-Obaid: 1,509
10. Fares Al-Otaibi: 1,441
11. Mubarak Zaid Al-Arow: 1,317
12. Jarrah Khalid Al-Fawzan: 1,296
13. Saadoun Hammad Al-Otaibi: 1,231
14. Ibrahim Muhammad Dashti: 1,050
    15: Hamad Abdulrahman Al-Alian: 1,024

Fourth Constituency

1. Mubarak Homoud Al-Tasha: 3,685
2. Shuaib Al Muwaizri: 3,333
3. Muhammad Haif Al-Mutairi: 2,367
4. Saad Ali Al-Rashedi: 1,952
5. Mubarak Haif Al-Hajraf: 1,826
6. Thamer Saad Al-Suwait: 1,601
7. Obaid Muhammad Al-Mutairi: 1,577
8. Marzouq Khalifa Al-Khalifa: 1,532
9. Abdullah Fehad Al-Anzi: 1,427
10. Muhammad Awad Al-Reqaib: 1,254
11. Fayez Al-Homhour: 1,237
12. Yousef Muhammad Al-Bazzali: 1,129
13. Bader Sayyar Al-Shemmari: 1,126
14. Muaz Mubarak Al Duwaila, 1112
15. Muhammad Obaid Al Rajhi, 1007

Fifth Constituency

1. Hamdan Al Azmi, 3420
2. Khalid Al Otaibi, 3323
3. Hani Husain Shams, 3077
4. Soud Abdulaziz Al Asfour, 2711
5. Al SaifiMubarak Al Saifi, 2354
6. Muhammad Hadi Al Hewaila, 2332
7. Faisal Muhammad Al Kandari, 1945
8. Muhammad Husain Al Majan, 1808
9. Homoud Muhammad Al Hamdan, 1761
10. Majed Musaed Al Mutairi, 1750
11. Marzouq Al Hebeni, 1532
12. Abdulhadi Nasser Al Ajmi, 1453
13. Fahd Hamad Al Hashmi, 1267
14. Ahmed Mutei Al Azmi, 1261
15. Muhammad Musaed Al Doussari, 1215

Kuwaiti women, on Thursday, have marked their strong presence in the 2022 National Assembly elections for the 17th legislative term. This year’s elections have witnessed a large number of women voters from various ages, in indication of their high level of political awareness. The participation of women in this democratic event came in many forms, some representing ministries and other governmental authorities, some working with candidates and some volunteered as organizers. The general atmosphere is “superb”, especially with the morning high turnout, said a civil society figure Thursday in reference to the 2022 National Assembly Elections. Kuwait Transparency Society is currently gathering and reviewing notes from some 200 observers; to be included in a report to available Friday night, said Society Secretary Asrar Hayat to KUNA.

In previous statement, Hayat noted observers for the elections had been adequately trained for the task. The Kuwaiti Cabinet made sure local civil society organizations are represented; and initiatives supported, through volunteers and workers to uphold integrity of the electoral process of 2022. Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Acting Interior Minister Sheikh Talal Khaled Al- Sabah began, Thursday, his checkup rounds on polling stations in the country’s five constituencies, starting from Al-Jahra governorate.

Accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil Dr. Mohammad Al-Fares and several senior officials from the Ministry of Interior, this visit reflected the government’s keenness on the success of the democratic process and the elimination of all obstacles that faced voters. In related news, Kuwaiti Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) took part in the 2022 National Assembly elections for the 17th legislative term on Thursday to ensure an atmosphere of integrity and freedom of choice. NGOs play an important role in monitoring the electoral process through spreading awareness and transparency in choosing the right candidate away from tribalism and sectarianism to achieve the wanted outcome and evolution.

The participation of NGOs is represented by the National Integrity Association, Transparency Society and Kuwait Journalists Society through volunteers and workers to maintain the integrity of the whole process and avoid any mistakes. The 2022 parliamentary elections’ coverage must reflect Kuwait’s image “at its best”, stressed Minister of Information Abdurrahman Al-Mutairi on Thursday. During a tour at its headquarters, Al- Mutairi, also Minister of Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, urged KUNA to “reinstate” itself in order to make it rhetoric more effective, either inside Kuwait or abroad. At the Minister’s reception were KUNA’s Acting Director General Mohammad Al-Manaee, his deputy Essam Al-Ghanim and Acting Editorin- Chief Bader Al-Sharhan. By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff and Agencies