[1] In December, elections were held for a Constituent Assembly, which then drafted a constitution promulgated as Law Number 1 on November 11, 1962.
[1] Although articles of the constitution have since been suspended twice, the document nonetheless remains the basic statement of intent for the Kuwaiti political system.
"[1] This clause codifies what has become practice: the semiformal alternation of power since 1915 between the lines of Mubarak's two ruling sons: Jabir and Salim.
[1] The head of the state is the Emir, the Commander of the Military of Kuwait, who has extensive competencies, who along with his cabinet constitutes the executive branch.
[1] The constitution also grants citizens a number of social rights, which form the basis for Kuwait's extensive welfare system.
Its aim shall be economic development, increase of productivity, improvement of the standard of living and achievement of prosperity for citizens, all within the limits of the law.
[1] The remainder of the population have few political and civil rights and enjoy restricted access to the benefits of the state welfare system.
[1][6][7] On 29 August 1976, the Emir Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah suspended four articles of the constitution concerned with political and civil rights (freedom of the press and dissolution of the legislature) and the assembly itself.
[1] In 1982, the government submitted sixteen constitutional amendments that, among other things, would have allowed the emir to declare martial law for an extended period and would have increased both the size of the legislature and the length of terms of office.