Kuwait vote shakes up assembly amid political gridlock

KUWAIT CITY (AP) — Voters in Kuwait have chosen to shake up their parliament, sending conservative Islamist figures and two women to the assembly in the Gulf Arab nation’s second election in less than two years. The results were seen as a vote for change amid a prolonged period of gridlock. The Cabinet is appointed by the royal family, while the 50-member assembly is democratically elected and more independent than similar bodies across the region. Kuwait’s Islamist opposition has won support by highlighting alleged corruption and grilling ministers on misallocation of funds. Following Thursday’s vote, the new assembly will include 27 new members, around a dozen of whom served in previous assemblies.