KUWAIT CITY, Dec 7: The latest turn in Kuwait’s politics is part of an ongoing cycle of checks and balances between the opposition and the government, says Dr Shafiq Ghabra, noted Kuwaiti political analyst.
Ghabra was talking to the Arab Times Wednesday giving his take on the recent political events in the country. There are many interests at play here, Dr Ghabra noted, ‘within the society, the parliament and the executive.’
The analyst pointed out that the cycle is gravitating towards a more democratic culture in the country; ‘however the journey to that point is going to be bumpy as there doesn’t seem to be much consensus among the elite or at the street level on the sort of structural reform necessary.’
Dr Ghabra does not look at the upcoming elections as the end of the conflict. ‘We will see a series of crisis of equal magnitude if not more as what we witnessed in the last couple of days.’
Talking about the new parliament, Ghabra said its composition would be tilted in favor of the opposition. ‘We will see a more vocal, exacting and powerful opposition, and on the whole a very active and vibrant parliament.’
Going to the basics of the political system in the country, Dr Ghabra criticized the nature of the current system, ‘where we have a parliament that is not represented by political parties. The parliament doesn’t form the government. Therefore, we have a unique system which has the foundations of the Parliamentary system, without a system.
‘We will witness a Parliament with a strong opposition and a shaky government.’
‘The protest in Kuwait was in part inspired by the Arab Spring, but the desire for change was always there. There was a deep yearning among the youth to break the cycle and bring in change. The aspiration for democracy is really strong.”
Sectarianism, Dr Gahbra added, also has a part to play in the process. ‘It had always risen its ugly head depending on local and regional issues. However, the Parliament and the government should be careful not to let it spread beyond a certain limit.’
All the change, he said, is geared ultimately towards the formation of a Parliamentary Constitutional Democracy, where the Prime Minister is elected directly by the people. ‘The ongoing conflicts will not end unless this is achieved, and it will take at least the next 10 years for this to happen, if not longer.
‘This process has already been delayed because of structural issues, conflicts within the ruling elite and other regressive processes in Kuwait in the last 20 years.’