The four women elected to Kuwait’s parliament are listed here. The vote figures are initial returns, with ranking and vote totals subject to change as results are finalized.

Massouma Al Mubarak
1st District, first place, 14,247 votes

On May 16, 2005, the women of Kuwait, standing together, won a prize they had been working toward for years – the right to vote and run for election. On May 16, 2009, the promise of that achievement came to fruition. Four women, running competitive, professional campaigns, won seats in Kuwait’s 50-member parliament.

A prominent member of the Tunisian opposition, Néjib Chebbi has long advocated for a transparent political process, good governance and sustainable economic growth. In 1980 he founded thee Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), known until 2001 as the Progressive Socialist Rally (RSP). A lawyer by training, Chebbi led a vigorous campaign to prevent President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from seeking his fourth term in 2004.

Congressional staff members from Colombia, Guatemala and Peru had a valuable opportunity to exchange information during a recent video conference program on legislative strengthening put on by NDI and the World Bank Institute (WBI).  The video conference series—the second in two years involving NDI and the WBI—brought the participants together to explore good practices in the areas of lawmaking, effective committees, and oversight and transparency.

The withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia last January and the return  of the president, prime minister and parliamentarians to Mogadishu at the end of February created an opportunity for Somali women seeking to play a greater role in the new unity government. To aid in this effort, NDI organized a two-day study tour to Uganda and a four-day workshop in Mogadishu to help women members of parliament (MPs) and civil society representatives plan legislative and advocacy initiatives. The programs resulted in the creation of the Somali Women Parliamentarians’ Association (SOWPA).

The Iran Election Bulletin is a biweekly publication covering domestic political and election issues in Iran in the lead-up to the June 12 presidential election.

The Iran Election Bulletin is a biweekly publication covering domestic political and election issues in Iran in the lead-up to the June 12 presidential election.