The parliament in the U.S.-allied, oil-producing Gulf state was elected on December 1 amid mass street rallies and an opposition boycott over a change to the voting laws that activists said favored pro-government candidates.

 

A long-running power struggle between members of Kuwait's elected parliament and its appointed cabinet has held up reforms, stalled investment and sunk a series of assemblies.

 

The last opposition-dominated parliament was dissolved in June after just four months in power and this month's election was the fifth since mid-2006.