519,636, candidates including 248,590 men and 271,577 women

A Kuwaiti man casts his vote for Municipal Council elections at a polling center in the seventh constituency.

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti citizens headed to ballot stations yesterday to elect ten members of the Municipal Council for its 12th legislative term, amid dusty and windy weather prevailing across the country. On the eve of the polling, Minister of Information Mohammad Al-Jabri declared the ministry full readiness for covering the election, broadcast live via the national visual media. The number of nominees, representing 10 constituencies, amounted to 519,636, including 248,590 male citizens and 271,577 females.

The official gazette 'Al-Kuwait Al-Yawm' published the Decree 114/2018 in April, calling on citizens to elect members of the municipal council according to Law 33/2016, modified by Law 1/2018, as well as Decree 94/2018 as to specifying the electoral districts for the municipal membership.

Decree 94/2018 added new residential areas to the lists of citizens eligible to vote, amounting to 19 populated regions, namely those located between the sixth and the 10th electoral divisions, however the first five ones remained unchanged. Dahia Mubarak Al-Abdullah, Al-Salam, Hitteen, Al-Seddeeq, Al-Shuhadaa and Al-Zahraa were added to the sixth electoral district. Sabah Al-Nasser, Al-Rehab, Eshbilia, Abdullah Al-Mubarak to the seventh. Al-Qairawan and Saad Al-Abdullah to the eighth, Al-Messila to the ninth. Al-Gurain, Al-Adan, Al-Qosour, Dahia Mubarak Al-Kabeer, Fahad Al-Ahmad and Jaber Al-Ali to the tenth.

Electoral Affairs General Directorate closed, on April 12, nomination for the 2018 board polling, after registering 73 hopefuls, concluding a 10-day registration period. The candidates are distributed among the 10 constituencies as following: Four in the first, four in the second, 13 in the third and 17 in the fourth. Five candidates have been registered for the fifth, seven in the sixth, three including a single woman in the seventh, nine in the eighth, six in the ninth and five in the 10th. Voting will be held at 102 schools-that have been converted into polling centers -- located in the 10 constituencies. They include 51 for male voters and an equal number for women.

After declaration of the election results in 15 days, six members will be appointed by a decree. Hopefuls must have an academic degree. Each voter is entitled to cast a ballot for a single candidate; registered in his or her constituency. Decree 240/2017 was issued to dissolve the Municipal Board on October 10. Decree 241/2017 was enacted forming an interim commission to temporarily practice the board jurisdictions-mandate of which expires with election of the new members. - KUNA