Kuwait - private

Over the past ten days, the Kuwaiti political arena has been preoccupied with the meetings conducted by the Deputy Emir of Kuwait and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, which included a number of prominent political figures and figures.

The meetings that received special attention from observers and those interested in political affairs, started by the Deputy Emir on September 14 with a meeting with the prominent political figure Ahmed Al-Khatib, Vice President of the Constituent Assembly, one of those who contributed to drafting the country's current constitution in 1962 and the only person still alive. Currently a member of the Constituent Assembly.

Following the meeting with Al-Khatib, the Deputy Emir met with the former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ahmed Al-Saadoun, one of the most prominent opposition figures in Kuwait during the past years and one of the boycotters of the parliamentary elections since the one vote law was passed.

A state of optimism

The thinker Abdullah Al-Nafisi and the former deputy professor of constitutional law at Kuwait University, Obaid Al-Wasmi, announced yesterday that they had met with the Deputy Emir, and delivered to him what he called the "Kuwait Document", which increased the state of optimism in Kuwaiti political circles.

We went out shortly before the meeting with His Highness the Deputy Emir, where we personally handed him the "Kuwait Document" which we had taken care to present to him before it was presented to the public opinion, in appreciation of his position and a desire to take his remarks, including the perception it contained regarding the five necessary and urgent measures and mechanisms for their implementation.

We wish him good luck and Kuwait's security and prosperity

- Dr. Obaid Al Wasmi (@Dr_alwasmi) September 23, 2020

Although Al-Wasmi and Al-Nafisi did not announce any details about the document and only announced its delivery, what was said to be a draft of it was leaked on social media, which witnessed a great celebration of the event, and the tag "Kuwait Document" was issued on Twitter.

On the second day, opponents of the document responded with a counter-tag titled "The Document_Kuwait_ Does Not Represent Me," as its opponents considered that it had been designed to serve parties in the Kuwaiti opposition who were subject to final rulings.

A document from which we do not know its source or location, and it does not serve the Kuwaiti people. It does not represent me.

- Attorney Faisal Saqr Al-Rashidi (@faisal_lawyer) September 23, 2020

Usual encounters

Observers believe that the recent meetings are not strange in the historical context of Kuwait, as Kuwaitis usually collide in times of crises to rally around the political leadership represented by the Emir and his crown prince.

Observers unanimously agree that the source of optimism from these meetings is that it comes in light of the conditions that dominate the political and economic scene, which need to be reconsidered, including the existence of an economic crisis due to the repercussions of the new Corona virus, leading to the reduction of Kuwait's credit rating for the first time to "A1" (A1) And the disclosure of a number of corruption and money laundering cases, in addition to the developments in the regional arena related to normalization with Israel.

In addition to the previous conditions, the Kuwaiti arena is currently preparing for the parliamentary elections expected to take place at the end of next November, and this is reflected in the preparations of most of the tribes that recently held their internal consultative elections to settle their candidates amid expectations of a wider participation from some of the poles who boycotted the recent elections.

Electoral law

Among the most prominent of the contents of the "Kuwait Document", according to observers, is its call for the necessity of developing a new electoral law that helps to have real representation and avoids the negative aspects of the one vote law passed in 2012, which many believe has contributed to maximizing the role of political money, buying votes and feeding sectarian strife. For private intakes.

Professor of political science at Kuwait University, Abdullah Al-Shayji, appreciates the idea of ​​the document in and of itself, and considered that its sponsors "rang the bell", and that it is a step on the right path, expressing his hope that it will be followed by a sounding of opinions that ends with a comprehensive national conference.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Shayji said that the initiative to meet the Deputy Emir with national figures is good, but the people are looking forward to the next steps, whether at the level of opening a new page with various political forces or taking reform steps.

Al-Shayji considered that the document, although there are some criticisms about it, the most prominent of which is that it is not known yet the participants in its drafting, whether they represent the different political sects, and the existence of some demands on which there is no consensus, but it remains that the leaked copy is not final, and it is in All conditions include what we might call a common ground on which to build in the coming period.

The Kuwait document aims to change the electoral system (Al-Jazeera)

Eagerness and change

A professor of political science at Kuwait University, Abdullah Sahar, believes that the most important feature of the Deputy Emir's meetings with a number of personalities recently is that they come within the framework of the political leadership’s keenness to listen to all spectrums of Kuwaiti society and adhere to pluralism, expecting that these meetings will continue in the coming period.

In his speech, Sahar stressed that Kuwait is facing political and economic challenges that have gathered at the present moment, and all of them require that the Kuwaiti people and leadership unite in consultative meetings, which is something that the political leadership, which listens to the opinion of the people through official and informal channels, is keen on, especially since the challenges need bold decisions to address. .

According to Sahar, the Kuwait document included many important points, the most prominent of which is related to the electoral system, which is the basis of the disagreement between the political forces in the recent period, and there is an ambition for a system agreed upon by all Kuwaitis to encourage large participation in the elections.

For his part, Lawyer Faisal Al-Fahd goes on to say that the Deputy Emir's meetings with the various national figures do not necessarily reflect a change in approach as some people imagine, as it is something that the people of Kuwait and the ruling family alike have to do.

Al-Fahd adds to Al-Jazeera Net that anyone can request to meet the Emir or his deputy, and present his proposals and perceptions, which are things that are done on a daily basis.