20000125

Kuwaitis vote in rerun parliamentary poll

AHMADI (Kuwait): Voting began on Monday in a re-run poll for a parliamentary seat in Kuwait's largest constituency after a court annulled the result during general elections last July.

The fresh election in Ahmadi, the largest of Kuwait's 25 constituencies with about 10,000 voters, was ordered on a petition by former MP Khaled al-Adwa.

He had lost the July race for the second of two seats in Ahmadi to Saadoun al-Otaibi by just three votes which were later found to have been cast by ineligible members of the military.

Two tribal candidates are fighting for the single seat in Kuwait's third parliament since the 1991 Gulf War forced Iraqi troops out after a seven-month occupation.

Women, about 50 percent of almost 800,000 Kuwaitis, are not allowed to vote despite strong efforts by the state last year to persuade parliament to approve the revolutionary move.

The oil exporter is the only Gulf Arab state with an elected parliament.

Organisers said Monday's polling began slowly. The 12-hour voting process closes at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT) and the result is expected early on Tuesday.

Some 80 percent of 113,000 eligible Kuwaiti males voted in the last general elections for 50 parliament seats which were concluded with no serious offences or incidents reported.-Reuters