KUWAIT: Ademonstration held outside the Kuwaiti parliament over alleged rampantcorruption was reminiscent of past crises that have marred political life inthe oil-rich Gulf state. The gathering on Wednesday night by hundreds ofprotesters, the first of its kind in the emirate for several months, comes at atime of mass demonstrations against graft in Lebanon and Iraq. Kuwait is theonly member of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to have witnessedsuch anti-government protests. Here is a look at the causes and possibleimpact.
Why are Kuwaitisangry?
At the openingceremony of the newly-elected parliament last week, pro-government speakerMarzouq Al-Ghanem lashed out at what he said was gross exaggeration of theextent of corruption in Kuwait. He said there were attempts to show Kuwait asif it were "the capital of the corruption world and that all Kuwaitis areinvolved in corruption."
The provocativestatement angered citizens and triggered the protest, said political analystIbrahim Dashti. "Citizens feel that corruption is widespread everywhere.We are one of the world's richest countries but still have no good roads;(public) education and health services have deteriorated," Dashti said.
Kuwait ranks 78thon the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by TransparencyInternational-the worst performance of any of the oil-rich Gulf states. Thegovernment-appointed Anti-Corruption Authority said last year it received 196complaints regarding corruption cases but referred only 34 of them forinvestigation.
What's next?
Given the currentmood across the region, commentators are watching to see if the Kuwaitdemonstrations escalate, and if so whether the government will be vulnerable.At Wednesday's protest, unlike previous demonstrations, no politicalorganizations were invited and no speeches made, making its impact difficult toassess.
Kuwait witnessedlarge-scale demonstrations in late 2011, coinciding with the Arab Springuprisings. Those rallies, led by opposition groups and lawmakers, were alsofocused on combatting corruption and pressing for political and constitutionalreforms. The protests forced then prime minister Sheikh Nasser MohammadAl-Ahmad Al-Sabah to step down. His Highness the Amir issued a decree todissolve parliament and call for early polls. If the latest protests continue,"the government of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-MubarakAl-Sabah will resign and snap polls will be held," said Dashti.
Are protestsallowed?
Kuwaitis are allowed to hold peaceful protests as part of their constitutional rights, on condition they obtain a permit from the authorities. Unlike its Gulf neighbors, Kuwait has a vibrant political life and an elected parliament. It became the first Gulf state to have a constitution and elected chamber in 1962. The 50-seat parliament also has powers to hold ministers to account in Kuwait, whose citizens make up about 30 percent of the 4.7-million population. - AFP