Kuwait: Election of women to the National Assembly - full text
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Elections to the National Assembly (the unicameral legislature) held on May 19 returned the first female legislators in Kuwait's history and saw a major shift in support from Sunni Islamists to Shia and liberal candidates. The election of Aseel al-Awadi, Rola Dashti, Salwa al-Jassar, and Maasouma al-Mubarak followed the extension of equal political rights to women in 2005 and the appointment of the first female cabinet minister, Ma'suma al-Mubarak, in the same year.
Immediate Context
The elections were triggered when the amir, Shaikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, dissolved the legislature to prevent the questioning of the prime minister over corruption charges. Three sets of elections had been held since June 2006 as the amir repeatedly dissolved the legislature to avoid the questioning of ministers by legislators.
This led to a succession of crises in which governments resigned only to be reappointed after a cabinet reshuffle. The National Assembly was repeatedly dissolved but elections rarely produced a legislature willing to defer to the cabinet. The root of the instability was that the cabinet was appointed by the ruling family rather than drawn from the strongest factions in the legislature, often leaving it without a majority of legislators to support it.
In the election all men and women aged over 21 who met the citizenship requirements were eligible to vote, unless they were serving in the military or police. The citizenship requirements stated that only those who had been a Kuwaiti citizen for 20 years or more held the franchise, a significant relaxation of the previous requirement for voters to be able to trace their ancestry in the country back to 1920.
Reaction and Outlook
Kuwaiti news agency KUNA described the election of the women as surprising, calling it, in a May 17 editorial, "a dramatic turning point in the history of Kuwait's parliament ... reflect[ing] a clear change in the social concepts of Kuwaiti society". The Al-Jazeera news agency described the loss of seats by Sunni Muslim politicians, and the replacement of 21 of the 50 MPs, as a sign that the gridlock in Kuwaiti politics might be ending. At least two of the new female MPs voiced their intention to restrict their reform campaigns to the operation of the legislature, indicating that the rule of the al-Sabahs was not a target for reform.
Maasouma Al-Mubarak, on May 19, pointed to the dramatic change in voting patterns as evidence of the strength of Kuwaiti democracy. Announcing her wish to be considered for the post of Deputy Speaker, she insisted the four women MPs would not form a bloc but would work with their male colleagues for the benefit of Kuwait. CNN reported on May 17 that Aseel al-Awadhi had called the results proof that, with respect to political representation, the " gender issue is history in Kuwait".
The news of the women's election was welcomed internationally, with KUNA reporting congratulations on the result from neighbouring and European countries, and, on May 19, from the Arab League. Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, hailed the result as an internationally significant challenge to the marginalisation of women, saying "the election of four women this Saturday is a major step forward for Kuwait, the region, and I would argue, the world". She expressed hope that the new legislature would overcome the recurrent crises that had beset Kuwaiti politics in recent years and would work "in a spirit of harmony to fully develop Kuwait's economic and social potential".
Historical Context
The ruling al-Sabah family came to power in Kuwait in 1756 after a period of direct Ottoman rule dating back to the 1600s. The al-Sabah family ruled Kuwait as a semi-autonomous province of the Empire until 1899 when they seceded to pre-empt a re-imposition of direct rule. They brought Kuwait under UK protection in an agreement that left the ruling family in charge of domestic matters and the UK in charge of foreign policy. In 1937 the Kuwait Oil Company found oil but full development of the oil fields was delayed by the World War II.
In 1952 Persia (now Iran) claimed sovereignty over Kuwait but did not pursue the claim after the UK reasserted the country's status as a protectorate. Kuwait began assuming control of its foreign policy in the early 1960s, becoming a founder member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in January 1961 and issuing its own currency shortly afterwards. In June 1961 Kuwait agreed to end its status as a UK protectorate and became fully independent.
Iraq claimed Kuwait after independence but did not press the issue after UK and Saudi Arabian troops were deployed to Kuwait. Arab League states supported Kuwait's independence and the League admitted Kuwait in July 1961. An application to join the United Nations (UN) later in the year was vetoed by the Soviet Union on the grounds that Kuwait was a UK puppet.
A Constitutional Assembly was elected in 1962 to draw up a constitution and advise the amir on the future government of the country. The franchise was restricted to Kuwaiti-born literate males over the age of 21. In February 1963 the first National Assembly was elected under the new constitution. The franchise was further restricted by excluding serving members of the armed forces and the police service. The hereditary ruler retained executive power and the right to appoint the prime minister. Kuwait became the fourth largest oil producer in the world at this time.
Elections to the National Assembly in 1971 and 1975 returned many Arab nationalists with all candidates standing as independents due to the constitutional ban on political parties. The legislators elected in 1975 were notably younger and more highly educated than their predecessors. This National Assembly was dissolved by the Amir in 1976 in the face of deadlock between the legislative and executive branches. Press freedom was also curtailed to end criticism of the government in the media. Rule by decree lasted until new elections were announced in early 1981.
When elections were held to re-establish the National Assembly a pro-government, pro-Western, conservative chamber was returned with nationalists and Shia Muslims losing many seats. This result was partly attributed to the redrawing of electoral boundaries during the preceding period of rule by decree. In 1983 a bill to enfranchise women was defeated by a wide margin. The National Assembly was suspended by the amir in 1986 and press freedom was again curtailed. A new chamber was elected in June 1990 just before the Iraqi invasion.
Iraqi forces occupied Kuwait from August 1990 to February 1991, after which they were driven out by a US-led coalition. On their return the ruling family faced calls for greater democracy and plurality from Kuwaitis who had remained in the country and resisted the occupiers. The government voiced support for these aims but said security and reconstruction would be dealt with first. Military tribunals were set up to deal with alleged collaborators and the prime minister acknowledged that disappearances and torture were taking place.
The first elected legislature after the invasion was convened in October 1992. The elections, in which only 15 per cent of the population was eligible to vote, were held under conditions of censorship of the press and the exclusion of foreign election observers. Of the 50 elected Assembly members 35 identified with the opposition and one of the first bills tabled proposed the extension of the franchise to women. Despite repeated conflict between the executive and legislative branches, especially over the 1995-96 budget, the two worked together for the full legislative term.
The amir dissolved the next Assembly in 1999 to avoid a vote of no confidence and issued a decree enfranchising women. The decree required legislative approval to take effect, however, and was voted down by the next National Assembly in November 1999. In 2005 a new bill granting equal political rights to women was passed into law despite opposition from Islamist and tribal Assembly members. The first female cabinet minister was appointed shortly afterwards. Between 2006 and 2008 women ran for election several times but did not win any seats.
