“Kuwaiti democracy still source of concern for Gulf regimes?”“The ruling family in Kuwait constitutes the middle ground solution for the social conflict which accompanied the country’s rise, when its ruler Sabah the First was chosen by the people 300 years ago and not “by force” as is the case in the other Gulf countries. This granted the Kuwaiti regime a special character which is not seen in the other Gulf regimes...
“Choosing Sheikh Abdullah Salem Rahme or the “Father of Democracy” as the Kuwaitis like to call him was a historical turn in all the meaning of the word, since he was the one who drew up the historical initiative of popular participation through the election of the first founding council in the Arab region to draft a permanent constitution in the country, regulating the relation between the ruling family and the Kuwaiti people, defining public funds and private funds, putting restraints on the authority to allow the ruling family to remain stable and to continue - and granting an opportunity for renewal by stipulating the reconsideration of the constitutional articles five years following the beginning of their implementation. This step raised the anger of the neighbors at the time, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“Nonetheless, the contagion moved to Bahrain which was inclined to adopt the same idea of popular representation, before its attempts were thwarted, its parliament disbanded and its constitution annulled. Today, Bahrain has become aware of the historical mistake it committed at the time by gradually returning to what it rejected in the past. Democracy in Kuwait granted the ruling family and the Kuwaiti people a stability which is absent from the majority of the states in the region, seeing as how the social and political conflicts are settled through the legislative institution and is based on the constitution, while the other Gulf countries - except for Bahrain - settle these conflicts in prisons and detention camps.
“Moreover, democracy in Kuwait defined public funds and private funds, and [gave] the state money under strict supervision..., while in the other Gulf countries, the citizens do not know the difference between the two. Democracy in Kuwait allowed the citizens to learn about the exact revenues of the oil sector, the size of the investments and the money they are generating, while this is not seen in the other Gulf states where the citizens have no idea how much oil they are selling and where the revenues are going. More importantly, democracy in Kuwait allowed the Kuwaiti citizens to have their say in regard to the authorities and public figures, and can go home to sleep without being bothered by “visitors at dawn.”
“In the meantime, the citizens in some Gulf states are insulted in public and via media outlets by members of the ruling families, while others are exiled in prisons or abroad. If the authority’s writers are capable of convincing their citizens of the sinful character of Kuwaiti democracy after around 47 years of experience..., good for them. However, if they are unable to do so, I advise them to benefit from the meanings of the words featured in this article.” - Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom
