Kuwait held a snap parliamentary election on Sept. 29 after the Gulf state's crown prince moved to dissolve parliament in a bid to resolve a political standoff between the government and the elected legislature.

At stake in this election:

• 50 seats in the Majlis al-Umma (National Assembly)

Main parties in the election:

There are no official political parties in Kuwait and all candidates for office stand as independents. However, there are various interest groups that function similarly to political parties, such as Islamists, secular liberals, and tribal factions.