Kuwait: Elections and Issues of Democratization in a Middle Eastern State

Abstract

AbstractIn 1992, elections were held in Kuwait to vote for the four‐year assembly. The elections were essentially a compromise formula between two systems and political cultures in Kuwait: traditional hereditary rule and representative and modern forms. The successful conclusion of the election campaign, one of the most intensive in the history of Kuwait, may be the first step in the direction of much‐needed political reform that may tilt the country more and more toward a true parliamentary system.The elections resulted in a victory for the opposition forces and their supporters, who together won thirty‐five seats. For the first time in the history of Kuwait, government ministers can vote in parliament against a government‐backed policy, should they feel the need to do so. Kuwait, as far as conditions allow today, is progressively shifting toward a parliamentary system. But, despite Kuwait's political steps forward, many questions and immense dangers still surround the democratic process.