In a closely fought contest, during the opening session of the 16th legislative term, Marzouq Al Ghanim was re-elected as the speaker of Kuwait’s National Assembly (parliament). He has held the position since 2013.
Al Ghanim ran against Bader Al Humaidi, the former Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Housing Affairs. He won the majority with 33 votes as compared to 28 votes for Al Humaidi.
Since the voting process was done anonymously it is unclear who each member voted for.
For his part, Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim thanked everyone who showed confidence in him. Extending a hand of friendship to everyone he said, “Personal battles and disagreements will neither benefit us nor develop our society, and Kuwaitis do not want quarrels but want development.”
Before the opening session, several MPs asked that the voting process be done publicly. There was a dispute, during the session, between the MPs and the temporary speaker, Hamad Al Harshani, whether the Parliament’s procedural law (in Arabic known as Laehat Al Dakhleya) stipulates that the vote must be done anonymously or not at all.
It is noteworthy that Al-Ghanim was elected as the speaker of the National Assembly in the last two legislative terms in 2013, and in 2016.
