Single vote system better for Kuwait

Kuwait is distinct in the Gulf region for being a constitutional state and having one of the world’s best constitutions which protects the rights of individuals and groups. Kuwait’s political system is based on public participation through three authorities, but it is different from other democratic systems in the fact that it lacks political parties.

When the parliamentary system was ushered in Kuwait, having political parties was not desirable, given the way this system had failed in various Arab countries at that time, including Iraq, Egypt and Lebanon. However, the gap left in the political system by the absence of political parties led to creation of groups based on family, tribal and sectarian basis.

The fact that the electoral system began by allowing voters to elect five candidates in ten constituencies helped the emergence of these blocs. A political party system would have contained certain checks and balances on the basis of which political parties would then have had to formulate and tweak their activities at the national level. The absence of such conditions and a system of controls has paved the way for elections happening along tribal and sectarian lines, something that has become the main approach which most voters opt for. Ultimately, it hurts the integration of the Kuwaiti society and the constitutional system.

Article 108 of the Kuwaiti constitution states that “a member of the National Assembly represents the whole nation. He safeguards the public interest and is not subject to any authority in the discharge of his duties in the National Assembly or in its committees.” This means that a lawmaker’s loyalty must be to the entire Kuwaiti people regardless of any one religion or race. However, it becomes hard to apply that concept when the electoral law is based on election along sectarian or tribal lines. Therefore, the single-vote decree came in accordance with the constitution, and to fill the gap left by the lack of political parties. Had political parties been there, they would have worked as per legal controls.

The Kuwaiti society has suffered enough disintegration as a result of having tribal and sectarian blocs. Therefore, a step was needed to force people to elect candidates on the basis of competency and patriotism; something the single-vote system achieved. I urge groups calling that we revert to the four votes per voter system to reconsider their position and put the general good ahead of their own personal interests. — Al-Qabas