Fear and Loathing on the Gulf, Uncomfortable Democracy ………..
“Kuwaiti democracy worries Gulf regimes. There is an unannounced campaign waged by Saudi Arabia through some of her journalists to cast doubts on Kuwaiti democracy and frighten not only citizens of Saudi Arabia, but those of all Gulf states of what is happening in Kuwait. Political and social developments are represented as a “sin” that should not be neared nor though about. The goal is to plant the seeds of doubt about any possible inevitability of such democracy in these other states. The Saudi planting of doubt in the Kuwaiti democracy is a result of not understanding the nature of the Kuwaiti regime and its relationship with the people. The ruling family in Kuwait was the result of a compromise solution over the rivalries and struggles that developed in the early years. They did not come to power through winning by force as is the case in other Gulf states………...”
He is probably right about a campaign by Saudi Arabia against Kuwaiti democracy. The tools used have been the vast Saudi media owned by the oligarchy and its retainers, as well as a couple of daily rags in Kuwait that toe the Saudi line when it comes to democracy. Occasionally even high “foreign” officials have interfered with statements critical of the relationship between the government and the legislature. Prince Nayef himself has made some comments in the past and I commented on his comments on this blog. Asharq Alawsat (Saudi) has published “articles” in recent years suggesting Kuwait switch to a Bahraini-style legislature that is only half-elected (actually it is less than half freely elected). Under current Kuwait law that would not be constitutional, but what do some of the neighbors know about constitutions or constitutionality?
For a while it looked like the others would move toward some form of electoral system, but that idea, never taken seriously by the rulers, is now deader than King Tut.
Cheers
mhg
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