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| Arabia |
| Kuwait faces calls for political overhaul |
| 2009-03-20 |
| KUWAIT CITY - Calls mounted in Kuwait on Thursday for an overhaul of the political system after a new dispute between MPs and the government led to the dissolution of parliament for the second time in a year. The emir dissolved the 50-member assembly on Wednesday and called for new elections within two months in a bid to end years of political feuding that has stalled development in the oil-rich Gulf state. Analysts said without major changes, including a comprehensive revamp of Kuwait’s 1962 constitution to give Kuwaitis a greater role in choosing their government, there would be no end to the paralysing turmoil. “We need fundamental changes to our democratic system. The constitution must be revamped to allow a true parliamentary system in which the government is elected,” said the head of Kuwait Society for Development of Democracy, Nasser al-Abdali. “If nothing happens, we will return to square one after the elections and have the same crises. This could risk a suspension of parliament,” he told AFP. Kuwait was the first Arab state in the Gulf to embrace the parliamentary system and adopt a constitution in 1962, but it has often been described as a “half democracy” as political parties are banned. Although elected MPs enjoy extensive legislative and monitoring powers, the house has no say in the formation of the cabinet, which by tradition is headed by a senior member of the ruling Al-Sabah family. A government is not required to win a vote of confidence from parliament before taking office and most ministers are not usually elected, although they enjoy the same voting rights as MPs. The cabinet is always headed by a senior member of the ruling family, which also holds the key posts of defence, interior, foreign affairs, oil and information. Lawmakers can grill individual ministers and vote them out of office but have no power to bring down the entire cabinet. |
| Posted by:Steve White |