The National: Will Kuwait's next elections end the political deadlock.

Next parliament will face series of pressing social and economic issues

Kuwaitis will head to the polls on June 6 to cast their votes for the legislative branch. The elections come at an important time, as Kuwait is dealing with a number of social, economic and political issues. The country is facing a fiscal deficit set to exceed 5 billion Kuwaiti dinars ($16.25 billion), mounting infrastructure problems and a growing housing crisis, so while parliamentary elections are usually seen as a beacon of hope, this time the general mood is not so optimistic.

The 2022 national assembly was hailed as the “people’s parliament”, with many sensing a change for the better. But the honeymoon period did not last, as political tension escalated after the government boycotted a parliamentary session in January, refusing to vote on a draft law that would have cost the government billions of Kuwaiti dinars to take on citizens’ loans.

While many refer to the elections as a “democratic wedding”, the general sentiment towards this poll is not as hopeful as it usually is, given that this is the third election to take place in less than three years. The previous assembly was short-lived, only in session for five months after the constitutional court ruled in March to annul parliament and reinstate the previous incarnation, elected in 2020, claiming that the decree to dissolve it had been “unconstitutional”.

Then and now

The list of those running is a short one, featuring a 10-year low of 207 candidates, after 40 had dropped out before the withdrawal deadline of May 30. “We just finished from an election cycle so we didn’t have time to recover financially and socially,” Abdullah Al Mufarrij, a former candidate who ran in the third electoral district in 2022, told The National. He pointed out that it costs about 40,000 to 50,000 Kuwaiti dinars to run a political campaign.

Other than the financial toll, “elections in Kuwait heavily depend on social obligations like going to weddings, diwaniyahs and funerals and so it takes a while for a person to set their social foundation”, Mr Al Mufarrij said. A bedrock of Kuwaiti democracy, a diwaniya is a traditional gathering that can be private or public, where patriarchs gather to discuss issues such as politics, economy and society.

“Some MPs that were part of the 2020 parliament did not run for the 2022 elections,” Hamad Al Thunayyan, assistant professor of political science at Kuwait University, told The National. “Now they are back in an effort to form an effective bloc.” Yet there are some new faces that have decided to run for the first time, one of whom is Mohammed Johar Hayat.

“This country does not deserve the decline it is going through. Kuwait enjoys all the elements of prosperity,” the 41-year old father of one told The National. “The country is rich in financial and human resources. We deserve a socially just and solid economy that is steadfast in the face of global changes culturally, economically and geopolitically.” After abstaining from running in previous elections, former speaker of parliament Marzouq Al Ghanim has announced his candidacy. “It is yet to be seen if Al Ghanim will run for the position again this year,” Mr Al Mufarrij said. “It will all depend on the number of votes he gets.” If Mr Al Ghanim decides to run, he will likely go up against former speaker, Ahmed Al Sadoon, who held the position most recently last year, uncontested. Mr Al Sadoon was making his return to the political stage after a 10- year break and won about 12,200 votes, the highest number won by a single candidate since the single-vote system was put in place by Emiri decree in 2012.

Voter turnout

About 793,000 citizens are eligible, according to Kuwait’s Al Jarida newspaper, yet voter turnout is expected to be less than the previous two elections, which was about 50 to 60 per cent. The official number of voters has yet to be published by the government.

“I think that voter turnout will decrease around 20 per cent compared to the previous two years,” Mr Al Mufarrij said. And Mr Al Thunayyan added that “morale on the street is low, especially after the fact that people were called on to choose wisely in past elections and then it was annulled”. “There is also a concern that this parliament could be annulled in the future,” he said. Nevertheless, there is a push to encourage the electorate. A private company has put up billboards across the country urging people to vote. The company has also published a series of videos in Arabic featuring celebrities in Kuwait calling on people to cast their ballot.

Reforms for the future

The most important issues are reforming electoral law and setting up an electoral commission to monitor the poll. There is little discussion around the economy, education, infrastructure and health sector. “We have serious economic issues. We have 300,000 Kuwaitis expected to enter the job market in the next 10 years and without diversifying the economy, it will be extremely difficult to increase employment opportunities,” Mr Al Thunayyan said.

The legislature does not solely enact laws but also oversees the performance of the executive. Previously, political deadlock has led to stalemate in almost all sectors, making co-operation between the two branches vital to push for reform.