Election unlikely to shift Kuwait’s political landscape

The decision by a number of opposition groups to end their boycott and contest the upcoming National Assembly election pushed the tally of registered candidates to 454, more than in the two previous elections. Despite this, the signs are that the next parliament, which will be elected on 28 November, is unlikely to differ markedly from the outgoing chamber. Most of the MPs from the previous (and largely pro-government) National Assembly hope to be re-elected, and the outgoing speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim appears likely to take that position again. Among the opposition groups, only some have lifted their boycott.