Kuwait needs a period of political calm

The intractable internal political wranglings in Kuwait may force the country to lose focus on the important events happening in the region and the nation may fail to be back on the road to economic success and prosperity. It badly needs a period of stable governance, which will allow all parties to draw a deep breath and reconsider how their strategic priorities can be realigned to help the country’s interests rather than grab short-term political advantages.

Kuwait’s latest government has pushed the constitutional crisis forward by approving three decrees that implemented the Constitutional Court’s nullification of the general elections of February 2012, which had returned an opposition landslide with Islamists and tribal candidates winning 34 out of the 50 seats. The election was rough with one candidate’s tent burned down and a TV station was stormed by a mob.

The Constitutional Court’s decision cannot be challenged. So, the next step is for the Emir to sign the decrees. A parliament based on the previous election is due to meet, but opposition MPs, who are opposed to the situation, may well boycott the sittings to trigger a dissolution of parliament, leading to new elections. If they return a similar result with a large number of opposition MPs, it is important that the government and opposition work out some kind of a government of national unity to offer the country the calm that it badly needs.