Kuwaitis Vote Most Westernized Liberals Out of Parliament

Kuwaiti voters ousted most of parliament’s Westernized liberals and gave a slight boost to fundamentalist Muslims and supporters of the royal-led Cabinet, results showed Sunday. The shift raised fears of spreading extremism in one of the United States’ key Arab allies.

The government’s firmer control of the legislature following Saturday’s vote will make it easier to pass long-delayed economic reform plans, including the sale of state utilities, in a country that has relied on oil wealth to maintain pampered lifestyles.

Fundamentalists who seek to impose a more wide-ranging version of Islamic law to preserve Kuwait’s Muslim identity won 21 seats -- one more than in the previous parliament. Voters also elected 14 pro-Cabinet members, up from the 12 in the outgoing 50-seat parliament.

Liberals and their supporters -- who have called for allowing women to vote -- won just three seats, down from 14.

The remaining 12 positions went to independents, up from four in the last house.

Political science teacher Massouma Mubarak said the results raised concerns that the “electoral base was extremist.” But ex-lawmaker and liberal human rights activist Ali Baghli said he believed many of the independents would vote with liberals.