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Kuwait Goverment
General
Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy and has the oldest directly elected parliament of the Persian Gulf Arab countries. Chief of state is the Emir, a hereditary title.
Kuwait was granted independence in 1961. In the same year it became a member of the Arab League, the Kuwait flag was hoisted on all governmental departments and institutions. In 1962 the Kuwaiti elected Constituent Assembly (50 members) convened to draft the Kuwaiti institution, in November, Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Al Sabah ratified the fist constitution of Kuwait. In January 1963, the first parliamentary elections were held. In the same month, the newly-elected national assembly convened. In May, Kuwait became a member of the United Nations Organization.
The Emir appoints the cabinet and the state constitution provides for the election of a 50-man National Assembly (parliament). Elections to the new assembly took place in October 1992 to run for four years. At these elections the narrowly defined electorate (a mere 13% of Kuwaiti nationals and no women at all) elected the first opposition majority in Kuwait's history. Candidates advocating democratic reform won 31 of the 50 seats.
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An Overview :
Flag description |
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three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; design, which dates to 1961, based on the Arab revolt flag of World War I |
Country name |
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conventional long form: State of Kuwait
conventional short form: Kuwait
local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
local short form: Al Kuwayt |
Government type |
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nominal constitutional monarchy |
Capital |
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Kuwait |
Administrative divisions |
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5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli |
Independence |
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19 June 1961 (from UK) |
National holiday |
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National Day, 25 February (1950) |
Constitution |
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approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 |
Legal system |
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civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Suffrage |
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adult males who have been naturalized for 30 years or more or have resided in Kuwait since before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21
note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote; in 1996, naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification but have been naturalized for 30 years were eligible to vote for the first time |
Executive branch |
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chief of state: Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 31 December 1977); Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdullah al-Salim al-Sabah
head of government: Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 13 July 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior NAWWAF al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 2001) and Muhammad Dayfallah al-SHARAR (since 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch |
Legislative branch |
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unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 July 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - Islamists 21, government supporters 14, liberals 3, and independents 12; note - all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National Assembly |
Judicial branch |
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High Court of Appeal |
Political parties and leaders |
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none; formation of political parties is illegal |
Political pressure groups and leaders |
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several political groups act as de facto parties: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and Shi'a activists, and secular leftists and nationalists |
International organization participation |
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ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Diplomatic representation in the US |
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chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah
chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702
FAX: [1] (202) 364-2868 |
Diplomatic representation from the US |
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chief of mission: Ambassador Richard LEBARON
embassy: Bayan, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City
mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000
telephone: [965] 539-5307, 5308
fax: [965] 538-0282 |
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