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| Arabia |
| Reformist gains in Kuwaiti vote |
| 2006-07-01 |
| Kuwaiti reformists campaigning on an anti-corruption platform, some of them Islamists, have made strong gains in parliamentary elections. But women, who were voting and standing for the first time, have failed to win any seats. State media reported a high turnout in the election, in which women made up 57% of the electorate. There were 28 female candidates, out of a total of 252 candidates, standing for 50-seat parliament. Two of the women candidates topped 1,000 votes but were beaten by their male rivals, AFP news agency reports. The opposition reformists - many of whom are Islamists - gained four seats, taking their total number of seats in parliament to 33. State media reported a turnout of up to 78% in some voting centres. |
| Posted by:Steve White |