(Bloomberg) -- Kuwaitis voted to bring back the majority of lawmakers who served in the parliament dissolved by the country’s ruler less than two months ago, with the opposition coalition retaining overall control.  

The OPEC-member held its fourth elections in as many years on Thursday, and 39 of the 46 members from the previous National Assembly retained their seats, according to results released overnight.

Emir Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, who succeeded his half brother in December, disbanded the last parliament after lawmakers used language deemed as unconstitutional. Still, AbdulKarim Al-Kandari, whose public comments triggered the decision, was reelected.

In contrast to its more autocratic Gulf neighbors, Kuwait has an elected parliament, but has long been plagued by dysfunctional politics. Governments appointed by the ruling Al-Sabah family have repeatedly clashed with elected lawmakers, leaving those overseeing the oil-dependent economy unable to enact reforms. 

Read more: Kuwait Votes Again in Bid For Change Despite Political Stalemate

“Not only did the majority of the 2023 parliament come back but many of them came back big,” said Bader Al-Saif, an assistant professor at Kuwait University and a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. “Confrontation is knocking, and we’ll know the contours of this confrontation when the government is announced.”

Kuwait is a key US ally in the Middle East, one of the world’s biggest oil exporters and least indebted nations, and home to a sovereign wealth fund valued at over $800 billion.

One Woman 

Kuwait’s loosely aligned opposition includes Sunni Islamists, some Shias, independents and tribal representatives who want more powers for elected lawmakers. The 50-seat legislature will include just one woman, Jenan Bushehri, as in the previous iteration. There are no political parties in Kuwait.

The government must now resign and the emir will then appoint a prime minister. Current premier, Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, holder of a Harvard University economics doctorate, has been in the role since January. A new cabinet must be formed within two weeks of an election.

Former parliament speaker Marzouq Alghanim, who called for turning a new page, secured first place in his constituency. Seven new faces made it in to the new parliament, along with four from former national assemblies. These include outspoken opposition member Bader Al-Dahoum. Tribal candidates now hold half the seats.

“Kuwait’s challenges are deep,” Al-Saif said. “Moving beyond dissolutions and elections to the root causes will spare all involved, and rejuvenate the system with structural reforms.”

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