(Reuters) - Kuwait holds an early parliamentary election on July 27 after the Gulf Arab state's top court dissolved the previous assembly on a legal technicality.
Political parties are not allowed, so lawmakers form loose alliances based on policy, family and religious ties. Below are details of some of the main figures and groups.
Some opposition politicians are boycotting the election in protest over changes to the voting system which were brought in last year.
LIBERALS
Liberal, urban politicians are expected to fare well in the election. Many of them boycotted the last vote in December but have split with the larger opposition bloc this time because they want to run for parliament. The main liberal group taking part is the National Democratic Alliance, which pushes for political and economic reform.
TRIBES
Leaders of some of Kuwait's most influential tribes, the Awazem, Ajman and Mutair, have called for participation in the elections. The groups, which have bedouin roots and tend to be more socially conservative than the more urban populations, were among the tribes that boycotted the last election.
People with tribal origins are estimated to form slightly more than half of the electorate, so the opinion of such community leaders can be important.
OPPOSITION BLOC
After elections in February 2012, around 34 members of the 50-seat parliament formed a majority bloc. The group, which included Islamists, populists and liberals, boycotted the December 1 election. Now the liberals appear to have split from the group.
Most of the original bloc is expected to boycott the July 27 poll.
Groups linked to this bloc:
Popular Action Bloc - a populist, nationalist group headed by former parliament speaker Ahmed al-Saadoun that focuses on economic and social issues. Some members have strong tribal support.
Islamic Constitutional Movement (Hadas) - founded in the early 1990s and affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. It backs a campaign to make Islamic law, or sharia, the source of legislation and has campaigned against corruption.
Salafis - There are several Salafi groups influenced by Saudi Arabia's austere version of Islam. The main Islamic Salafi Alliance opposed votes for women, who were granted suffrage in 2005. It has a smaller influence in political life than more moderate Islamists. Some members may run in this election.
(Compiled by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Yara Bayoumy, Alistair Lyon and Sonya Hepinstall)
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