Kuwaiti citizens hope for way out of political impasse

Kuwait City: Mere hours ahead of the Kuwaiti parliamentary elections on Saturday, observers remain uncertain of what the outcome might be. The elections are the first to be held since the number of constituencies in Kuwait has been reduced to five.

Former MP Ali Al Rashid, a liberal, told reporters to predict the election result "remains difficult, because there is an air of disarray due to the new election law that reduced the number of electoral constituencies from 25 to 5".

With the new system the constituencies have all increased in size.

The new election law, passed in 2006, was seen as a move to curb tribal clout in politics and end vote-buying. Under the new law, each constituency will send 10 candidates to the 50 seat parliament, and each voter may cast 4 votes.

Influence

However, tribes are expected to hang on to their disproportionate influences in parliament, especially in the Fourth and Fifth Constituencies which are regarded as outlying areas.

A sign of this dominance became evident in the past two months when the Ministry of Interior was faced with violent resistance by tribesmen during attempts to curb illegal tribal primary elections.

Parliament was dissolved by the Emir on March 19, following the Cabinet's resignation. Parliament was accused of non-cooperation. Parliament and the Cabinet failed repeatedly to find solutions regarding several issues that ended in deadlock.

The government blamed the belligerent attitude of parliamentarians for the impasse which eventually led to parliament's dissolution, while MPs held the government accountable for what they called a "lack of vision".

Since the previous legislative election in 2006, the Cabinet has resigned twice and six ministers gave up their portfolios prior to or after being grilled by MPs.

Whilst both the Emir and the government repeatedly expressed their wish to fast-track development in the country to position Kuwait as the hub of commerce and investment in the region, the previous parliament advocated populist demands such as writing off consumer loans for all Kuwaitis and offering bigger salaries for students who are studying at public universities.

The Cabinet's resignation came one day prior to a parliamentary vote on a Bill proposing a second salary increment in a month for government employees.

However, former MPs rebutted accusations of impeding reforms and progress in the country, pointing out the passing of some vital laws such as a cut in taxation on foreign firms and the privatisation of loss-making Kuwaiti Airlines.

Government had reiterated that for Kuwait to catch up with the massive economic and developmental steps taken by neighbouring GCC states, a shift in strategy must be adopted to take real steps towards privatisation and a diversified modern economy.

To accomplish this, the new parliament must be open to international and regional investment, and more relaxed cultural regulations in terms of education, tourism, women's rights, entertainment and censorship are needed.

Some observers predict the new parliament will not bring much change.

Former Oil Minister Ali Al Baghli has previously stated that the elections might bring new faces but MPs will continue to focus on popular issues.

Clampdowns

Since the start of campaigning, Kuwait's government has announced clampdowns on two attempts of vote-buying.

It is hoped that new faces will make it through the elections, especially since the new electoral system, which increased the number of voters per constituency to around 70,000, eases the exposure of vote-buying.

Independent candidates face different challenges in the new electoral system because the expanded districts require more efforts to reach out to voters in a limited period of time.

Female candidates are hopeful that they will be given a chance.

Altogether 27 candidates out of the total 276 believe voters will give women a chance after the failure of the previous parliament. Kuwaiti women have participated in elections since 2006 as voters and candidates after being given political rights in 2005. They failed to attain any seat in parliament.

A legal expert at Al Amiri Diwan, Soad Al Tarawra, earlier told state-run news agency KUNA that "Kuwaiti women have better chances of making it to parliament if they are endorsed by either a tribe or political bloc, a condition that was met when a female candidate was included on the electoral list of the liberal National Democratic Alliance."

This means Dr Aseel Al Awadi's chances of winning are higher, not only because she is part of a bloc, but also as a candidate from the Third Constituency where the liberals are strong.

Since the establishment of the Kuwaiti parliament in 1963, Kuwaiti rulers have dissolved parliament five times, twice suspending it for several years due to insecurity and political disputes.

Kuwaitis take great pride in their parliament; the only elected parliament in the Gulf. They believe they set a role model for other GCC countries with regards to democracy, freedom and transparency.

- Laila Ali is a journalist based in Kuwait City

Hard facts: Challenging the government

Kuwaitis will vote in a parliamentary election today, two months after the ruler of the major oil exporter dissolved parliament to end a crisis with the government. Following are some facts about the Gulf Arab state's political system:

• Kuwait gained independence from Britain in 1961 and the first fully-elected parliament in the Gulf Arab region was voted in in 1963.
• Kuwait has a 50-seat parliament with a history of challenging the government, unusual for a region dominated by families. Deputies have to approve the state budget and all major laws. They often exercise their right to question ministers, sometimes prompting them to resign under pressure.
• Kuwait's ruler, Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has the last say in policy. He can dissolve the assembly and appoint new governments. Key Cabinet portfolios such as defence, interior and foreign affairs are held by members of the ruling Al Sabah family none of whom have ever held a parliament seat.
• The emir or his predecessors have dissolved parliament five times since its establishment - in 2008, 2006, 1999, 1986 and 1976. According to Kuwaiti law, elections must be held within 60 days of the assembly being dissolved, but rulers have ignored this rule before, suspending the assembly for five years from 1976 and six years from 1986.
• No political parties are allowed
• Kuwait does not allow political parties but tolerates informal political groups. These include the hardline Islamist Salafist movement, the liberal Democratic Forum Bloc, the Shiite Muslim-led National Islamic Coalition, the Islamist Ummah Party, the Islamic Constitutional Movement and the Liberal Popular Action Bloc.
• Parliament passed a law in May 2005 giving women the right to vote and run in elections for the National Assembly. No woman was elected in the last vote in 2006.
• Since the US-led invasion of neighbouring Iraq in 2003 and US calls for change in the Middle East, the ruling family has come under pressure from both Islamists and pro-Western liberals to loosen its grip on government and share power.
• In July 2003, the emir issued a landmark decree separating the post of prime minister from the crown prince for the first time since Kuwait's independence.
• Kuwait passed a new election law in 2006 cutting the number of constituencies from 25 to five in hopes that it would increase competition and reduce vote-buying that has long marred polls in the Gulf Arab country.
• Some 361,685 Kuwaitis, over half of them women, are eligible to vote in the 2008 election. Members of the security forces are not allowed to vote, nor are expatriates, who form almost 2.2 million of Kuwait's 3.2 million population.
• Over 270 candidates, including 27 women, are running in today's election.

- Reuters