Kuwait: New faces from 5 constituencies

KUWAIT CITY: Political analysts and constitutional experts say Kuwait will soon witness a totally different parliamentary election due to the implementation of the five constituencies electoral system in the upcoming election.

Speaking to the Arab Times on Wednesday after HH the Amir issued a decree on the dissolution of the Parliament, Constitutional expert Dr Mohammed Al-Maqate said the next parliamentary election will be a novel experience for Kuwaiti voters due to the implementation of the five constituencies electoral system, instead of the 25 constituencies.

“The new Parliament will consist of new faces since the five constituencies electoral system is touted as a means to tone down tribal and familial influence — on a voter’s decision — hypothetically, from 75 percent to 30 percent. Citizens will no longer vote based on their tribal and friendly relations with candidates but on the candidates’ experience and qualifications,” Al-Maqate added.

When asked to explain the new electoral system, Al-Maqate underscored the fact that according to the Constitution, an election should take place within 60 days after dissolving the Parliament. Under the new system, Al-Maqate clarified that each constituency will elect 10 MPs instead of two under the previous system. He added citizens can vote for no more than four MPs out of 10 candidates in each constituency. Al-Maqate said the Ministry of Interior will supervise the election. It will be in charge of allocating polling stations, announcing their locations, and monitoring electoral records while the counting of votes will be under the jurisdiction of an impartial authority headed by the Ministry of Justice, he added.

The new electoral system was approved in 2006 after a heated argument between MPs and Cabinet members on the number of constituencies. The Cabinet pushed for ten constituencies while the MPs demanded only five constituencies. The Parliament was dissolved later since the two authorities were deadlocked on the issue. After the election, the new Parliament passed a law on the five constituencies.

According to the new law, the number of voters in the five constituencies will range from 38,000 to 90,000 instead of 5,000 to 31,000 under the 25 constituencies electoral system. Those who opposed the previous system have argued that the small number of voters encourages political corruption and vote-buying. Other MPs, however, were skeptical saying that the new legislation will not guarantee equality among citizens due to a wide disparity in the number of voters in the constituencies.

In related developments, Al-Maqate commented on the role of women in the upcoming election. He said women have very limited chances in the election “as none of the political blocs have shown any interest in supporting female candidates.”In 2005, Kuwaiti women were granted their full political rights.

None of the 27 female candidates, who ran for office in the 2006 parliamentary election, won a seat at the National Assembly. Recently, the Parliament amended a law on organizing parliamentary elections. According to the new conditions stipulated in this law, candidates are not allowed to put up tents or banners for their candidacy. They can also hold meetings only in these designated locations — school auditoriums, theaters or wedding halls.

Talking about the consequences of the abovementioned law, political activist and economist Rola Dashti said “this law guarantees equality among candidates as it is no longer based on who pays more to win votes. Media will play a great role in this election as there are no restrictions on utilizing any of its forms.” Under the new system, Dashti hopes voters will choose sincere candidates, who are keen on serving the nation and its people. “Kuwait is going through a very critical phase in its history made worse by the escalating tension in the region. At this point, the nation needs highly professional leaders with the ability to take wise decisions,” Dashti added.

Talking about the campaign procedures, Dashti explained those who intend to run in the election should file their candidacy immediately after the issuance of an Amiri decree on the dissolution of the Parliament. She added the decree includes the election date and candidates have the right to withdraw from the race any time before the election.

-- Arab Times