Kuwait Cabinet Sets Parliamentary Vote For July 27

The Kuwaiti government on Wednesday set a fresh date of July 27 for a parliamentary election, delaying by two days the sixth assembly contest in seven years in the politically volatile Gulf country.

The government had earlier scheduled July 25 for the poll, a snap vote ordered by its top court earlier this month after the current assembly was dissolved.

“The ministerial council adopts a decree to invite voters to elect members of the National Assembly (parliament) on July, 27, 2013,” official news agency KUNA reported, without giving any further details.

The new date, like the previous one, falls during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Almost constant factional infighting and disarray has stalled infrastructure development and held up economic reforms in Kuwait, an important oil producer and U.S. ally.

On June 16 opposition supporters lost a legal fight to undo changes to the voting system they said favour pro-government candidates – a dispute which aggravated political tensions.

The Constitutional Court however found fault in the process leading up to the last elections in December and ordered a new ballot for the 50-member assembly.