Kuwait
Kuwait is a Gulf state exhibiting mid-level performance across all four categories of the Global State of Democracy framework. It performs in the high range for Basic Welfare but falls within the bottom 25 per cent of the world with regard to Free Political Parties, Political Equality, Gender Equality and Freedom of Religion. Over the last five years, Kuwait has maintained relative stability, with notable advancements only in levels of performance for Freedom of Expression. Largely owing to its oil reserves, it is one of the richest countries in the world, measured in GDP per capita, and boasts high levels of socioeconomic development. Despite general stability, Kuwait’s politics have been marked by change, with several several snap parliamentary elections, a rare leadership succession, and persistent political gridlock.
The origin of Kuwait dates back to early migrants in the 18th century, who eventually appointed a sheikh from the Sabah family to lead them. The country was controlled by the Ottomans, followed by the British, before achieving independence in 1961. Kuwait has an executive appointed by the ruling Sabah family and a popularly elected parliament (though candidates run as individuals and not as members of political parties, which are banned). However, the regionally unique Kuwaiti parliament can be dissolved by decree and entrenched conflict with the executive has led to some friction and to repeated dissolution of the legislature, most recently in 2024. Such friction has been compounded by factional struggles within the ruling family. Beyond this core conflict, tribal kinship ties and the politics of citizenship may also be viewed as constitutive features of Kuwaiti politics. In terms of the former, tribes (and ideological leanings) serve as important forms of political organization in the absence of a political party system. This has also resulted in a key cleavage between urban-based segments of society and tribal Islamists (particularly Salafis) in outlying areas.
Another cleavage exists between citizens and non-citizens; roughly 66 per cent of the country’s residents are non-citizens –primarily overseas contract laborers– who do not enjoy full rights, are dependent on their employers under a restrictive kafala sponsorship system and have few prospects for naturalization. Beyond foreign workers, the stateless Bidoon community, minority Arab groups who were unwilling or unable to gain citizenship at independence, are also marginalized economically, politically and socially. While gender equality generally occupies a regionally favorable position, particularly in terms of socio-economic advances and access to education –as women outnumber men in university study–, it still remains limited. Students have protested against regressive gender segregation in university classrooms, and, in the latest election, just a 3.08 per cent of elected parliamentarians were women.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch the Emir's decision to suspend parliament and several articles of the constitution. While it remains unclear what the impact of this measure will be for the resolution of the country’s political gridlock, observers have warned of risks of democratic backsliding, which may impact Representation and Rights categories moving forward. Often tied to domestic political crises, the Anti-Corruption Authority’s increasing activity could also potentially impact Rule of Law performance in the medium term.
Last Updated: June 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
March 2025
Landmark reforms raise marriage age to 18 and abolish ‘honour killing’ leniency
On 16 March, the government gazetted two landmark legal reforms aimed at strengthening protections for women and children. The first reform amends the Personal Status Law by raising the minimum legal marriage age to 18 for both girls and boys, up from 15 and 17 respectively. The second reform repeals Article 153 of the Penal Code, which had allowed courts to reduce sentences for men convicted of ‘honour killings,’ acts of gender-based violence committed against female relatives in the name of family honour. Authorities framed these reforms as fulfilling obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), with the changes being positively received by civil society organizations.
Sources: Official Gazette of Kuwait (1), Official Gazette of Kuwait (2), Kuwait Times, Arab Times Kuwait, The New Arab
September 2024
Cabinet approves amendments to citizenship law
On 25 September, the Kuwaiti Cabinet approved amendments to the 1959 Nationality Law. These changes end the automatic citizenship granted to foreign wives of Kuwaiti men and expand the government's power to revoke citizenship. Grounds for revocation now include crimes related to honour, integrity, or state security, as well as offenses against religion, the Prophets, or the Emir. Citizenship may also be revoked if an individual was dismissed from a government position for disciplinary reasons, if it is deemed necessary for state interests due to threats to the country's ‘economic or social systems’, or if a person has ties to ‘foreign political organizations.’ Previous instances of citizenship being revoked from political opponents and minorities have raised fears that the amended law may be enforced in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner. The draft law, which is yet to be promulgated by the Emir, was approved by the Cabinet without input from parliament, which was dissolved in May 2024.
Update 1: The amended law came into effect on 24 December following its publication in the official gazette.
Update 2: On 11 March, Kuwait formed a grievance committee, a non-judicial body that will review citizenship revocations. The committee launched an online portal on 4 May to accept appeals for revocations issued between 20 February 2024 and 30 April 2025, receiving over 14,000 appeals by 14 May.
Sources: Kuwait News Agency (1), Arab Times (1), Gulf News, ADHRB, International IDEA, Kuwait News Agency (2), Kuwait News Agency (3), Kuwait Times, Arab Times (2), Democracy for the Arab World Now
May 2024
Kuwait's Emir dissolves parliament and suspends part of the Constitution
On May 10, Kuwait's Emir, Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, issued a decree dissolving the National Assembly and suspending several constitutional provisions. This move follows the April 2024 elections, which followed a previous parliamentary dissolution in February. The decree consolidates legislative and executive powers in the hands of the government and the Emir, who said that this suspension, which could last up to four years, aims to facilitate a ‘comprehensive review’ of the democratic process. The suspension leaves Kuwait without a clear mechanism for reconstituting the dissolved Assembly, and expands executive authority by removing the requirement for legislative review of Emiri decrees and constitutional amendments. Kuwait's suspended constitutional provisions were unique in the Gulf region for granting substantial powers to its parliament.
Sources: Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya, The New York Times, Constitute Project
April 2024
Kuwait elects new parliament for fourth year in a row as gridlock persists
On 4 April, Kuwait held its fourth national election in four years, attempting to resolve its prolonged political deadlock. The snap election that took place during the month of Ramadan was called after Kuwait’s new emir Sheikh Mishal, who took office last December, dissolved the parliament on 15 February, citing ‘violation of the constitutional principles’. A total of 834,733 Kuwaitis were eligible to vote, and turnout was 62.1 per cent. The electoral result led to little change in the overall parliamentary composition as compared to prior electoral results, with opposition candidates retaining 29 of the 50 eligible seats. A total of 13 women ran for office, with experienced MP Jenan Bushehri being the only elected woman. Shia candidates won a total of eight parliamentary seats. One candidate linked to the Islamic Constitutional Movement, the branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait, also secured a seat.
Sources: Aljazeera, Al Araby, International IDEA, Al Qabas, The New York Times
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