Kuwait City (dpa) – Kuwaitis began casting ballots Thursday in parliamentary elections seen as crucial to the future of the oil-rich Gulf country, where the opposition is demanding reforms. Around 276 parliamentary hopefuls, including 22 women, are contesting the election, which was preceded by incidents of violence and acrimony. At least 17 people were injured Tuesday when riot police clashed with opposition protesters attempting to storm the private television station Al-Watan after it interviewed a pro-government contender. On Monday, angry tribesmen torched a tent of another candidate for making remarks they deemed offensive to their tribe. The Islamist-led opposition has vowed in pre-poll campaigning to combat corruption and expose what they describe as government loyalists allegedly bent on blocking reforms in the country. More than 400,000 Kuwaitis, 54 per cent of them women, are eligible voters. The new 50-seat parliament will be Kuwait's fourth in six years. In December, ruler Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah dissolved parliament following an opposition outcry over an alleged bribery scam and a youth-led attack on the parliament building. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/bLV3e Tags: Elections, Parliament Section: Kuwait, Latest News
