Kuwait elections: Only female MP Safa al-Hashem loses seat

Safa al-Hashem was first elected as an MP in 2012

Kuwait's only female MP, Safa al-Hashem, has lost her seat in polls which saw the opposition make gains in the oil-rich Gulf state.

There were 29 female candidates, but none secured a seat. This was a blow to female candidates after women won the right to vote 15 years ago.

The first female MPs were elected in 2009.

The final count showed 31 new lawmakers had been elected to the 50-seat assembly.

• Kuwait profile

Safa al-Hashem was elected in two consecutive parliaments, in 2012 and 2016.

She is the first and only woman to have dissolved parliament when she won a court case in 2012 that annulled the National Assembly elected in February 2012 and reinstated the previous parliament elected in 2009.

Prior to entering politics, she was a successful businesswoman and founded a consulting company.

Twenty-four of the National Assembly's 50 seats were won by candidates belonging to or leaning towards the opposition, up from 16 in the last parliament, according to results announced on Sunday.

Kuwait - which has a population of 4.8 million, including 3.4 million foreign workers - has the world's sixth-largest known oil reserves and is a major US ally.

The emirate's parliament has the most powers of any elected body in the Gulf and opposition MPs openly criticise the ruling family, the Sabahs.

However, they retain full control over key government and executive posts, and Kuwait's ruler, the emir, has the last say in political matters. He also has the power to override or dissolve parliament, and call elections.

The polls were the first since the new emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed al-Sabah, took office in September following the death of his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, at the age of 91.

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