May 23rd, 2008 by Amanda

In the wake of Kuwait’s Parliamentary elections held last week, The Economist argues that the nation’s efforts toward democratic reform are slowing down democratic reform in the region, not facilitating it. Even though “Kuwait has the strongest and noisiest parliament among the Arab monarchies of the Gulf,” the article claims that “few of their ruling families and friends think the price of democracy is worth paying.” And while the elections have turned over more seats to Islamists who are “just as likely to take on the government” as more secular factions, their long-term viability in the face of the monarchical bulwark is questionable.

Other Gulf countries, such as Qatar and UAE that resemble Kuwait’s societal structure have not yet constructed an election process for Parliamentary members. Despite Kuwait’s problems, however, women participate more directly in government than neighboring states like Saudi Arabia.

UPDATE: For analysis on Kuwait’s party participation, read commentary by Nathan Brown at Abu Aardvark.

Posted in Elections, Kuwait, Political Islam, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE |