Located in a turbulent part of the world with Iraq to the north and Iran to the east, Kuwait is the Gulf Co-operation Council’s only democracy with a fully fledged parliament and regular elections, and it has made significant political progress over the past few years.
In May 2005, the Kuwaiti parliament gave women the right to vote and stand as candidates in elections for the 50-seat National Assembly. However, the growing assertiveness of parliament has led to frequent confrontations with the government. In the past three years, three cabinets resigned amid disputes with the National Assembly. Kuwait has faced a recent spate of militant violence, though it remains relatively stable despite recent upheavals across the Middle East and north Africa (MENA) region.
