Unprecedented Protests By 100,000 Against
Constitutional Coup In Kuwait , 100 Injured
By Countercurrents.org
23 October, 2012
Countercurrents.org
Oil rich and geotactically important Kuwait experienced unprecedented political movement with the participation of more than 100,000 people in protests. Authorities used excessive forces to silence the protesters in the largest gathering in the history of Kuwait . The protesting forces have vowed more protests. Around 70 protesters including two former parliament members and a reporter were detained. Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh reportedly submitted his resignation in objection to the emergency decree that amends the electoral system.
A Reuters report[1] said:
Kuwait's opposition on Oct. 22, 2012 condemned what it said was the state's use of excessive force against demonstrators and called for the release of those detained in Oct. 21, 2012 mass protest against a move to change the electoral law.
Police used teargas, stun grenades and baton charges on Oct. 21, 2012 to disperse demonstrators protesting against changes to the voting mechanism, which the opposition has called a constitutional coup by the government.
“The authorities revealed yesterday the ugly, authoritarian face of autocracy in its crass way of dealing with the peaceful popular march,” Kuwait 's opposition factions, including the country's Salafist Movement, said in a joint statement.
The opposition decided to take to the streets after the government – which is dominated by the ruling Al-Sabah family – announced last week it was calling elections for December 1.
The announcement was the latest move in an intensifying power struggle between the ruling establishment and parliament that has seen eight governments come and go since the Amir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, came to power in 2006.
The 83-year-old emir dissolved parliament on Oct. 7. It was the sixth time the key US ally had disbanded its legislature since early 2006.
Reforms should lead Kuwait towards “a nation with a democratic parliament,” the opposition said in the statement.
A reference in the statement to the government's use of “foreign elements” in its special forces was vehemently denied by officials.
Some in the opposition have been demanding a constitutional state and for the Amir to resign but for governments to be formed by majority groups in the 50-member assembly. Others have made more modest demands for the government formed by the Amir to be subject to full parliamentary scrutiny.
From Kuwait City , an AFP report headlined “ Kuwait opposition vows more protests”[2] said:
The Kuwaiti opposition said on Oct. 22, 2012 it would push ahead with protests until the government meets its demands for reform, a day after 100 demonstrators were injured in confrontations with police.
Around 70 protesters were arrested, according to defense lawyer Al-Humaidi al-Subaie.
On Oct. 22, 2012, the director of the Kuwait Society for Human Rights, Mohammad al-Humaidi, said that the interior minister had ordered the release of all those detained during Oct. 21, 2012 demonstration.
Charges against them have not been dropped, he said.
The opposition said more than 100,000 people took part in the protest.
The opposition statement charged that "foreign personnel were part of the riot police" who clashed with protesters. It did not elaborate, but an opposition source said they were members of a foreign community in Kuwait .
The statement said the opposition was ready to wage a "long battle" for reforms.
But the "popular protests are not directed against the Al-Sabah family," which has ruled Kuwait for more than 250 years unchallenged, the statement said.
"The demands of the Kuwaiti people are not confined to abolishing the (amendment of the electoral law) decree... but also include achieving political reforms that transform Kuwait into a democratic parliamentary state," it added.
The new political crisis in the emirate was sparked by a decision by the ruler to amend the electoral constituency law which the opposition says is aimed at electing a rubber-stamp parliament.
The opposition has said it will boycott snap parliamentary polls slated for December 1.
The opposition also announced a small gathering outside parliament in Kuwait City in solidarity with the ex-MPs.
Another report[3] from Kuwait City on Oct. 22 said:
The opposition Majority Bloc and affiliated groups called on the Kuwaiti people to participate in a gathering in Al-Erada Square on Oct. 25, 2012, the Day of Arafat, to “break the fast in rejection of suppression and in solidarity with (political) detainees”.
Opposition forces met on Oct. 22, 2012 at the Diwan of former MP Musallam Al-Barrak, and issued a statement condemning the methods used by security forces to disperse demonstrators.
Meanwhile, the Kuwait Cabinet reminded citizens that it is not allowed to hold a gathering of more than 20 individuals on roads or public locations without taking a permit from the concerned governor.
The opposition deemed Oct. 21, 2012 protest a “historic success”. Events “will be announced at a later time” the opposition said, presumably after Eid Al-Adha holidays.
The opposition said that the “clan-style attitude and slogans will cause the family to be isolated from the people.” The opposition called for the release of detainees and the independence of the judiciary system.
“In this context, the decree on the protection of national unity will not scare us. This decree-law is intended to be a tool in the hands of the authority to imprison whoever it likes and it's an invalid decree and unconstitutional,” added the opposition. They further added the Interior Ministry's latest statement on the popular march is “misleading... and modeled on statements issued by repressive regimes of dictatorship.”
The First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Homoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah briefed the ministers about precautions that were taken to deal with the recent demonstrations and marches.
Political analyst and political science professor Ayed al-Manna told AFP : “The regime may declare martial law, leading to an open and bitter confrontation between it and the people.”
“We have entered a new phase in which youths are playing a pivotal role,” said independent political analyst Dahem al-Qahtani.
“If no peaceful solution is reached, we could be moving into a scenario similar to Bahrain ,” Qahtani told AFP .
“After reaching this stage, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for the popular movement to back down ... The solution is in real democratic reforms,” he said.
In another development, the Public Prosecution on Oct. 22, 2012 released former MP Osama Al-Munawer on bail after questioning him. He has been charged with criticizing the Amir in an opposition rally at the diwaniya of former MP Mohammed Al-Khalifa.
Other former MPs including Musallam Al-Barrak, Mubarak Al-Waalan, Mohammed Al-Khalifa, Salem Al-Namlan and Abdullah Al-Barghash are facing a similar charge and the prosecution have summoned them for questioning.
Moreover, the Court of Appeals on Oct. 22, 2012 upheld the verdict of a lower court which had instructed former MP Mohammed Al-Juwaihel to pay KD 20,000 compensation to Al-Barrak.
Al-Barrak had accused Al-Juwaihel of abusing him and tarnishing his reputation in press statements and during his interview with Al-Sour TV .
An Arab Times report[4] from Kuwait City on Oct. 21, 2012 said:
The protestors gathered in a mass procession after Special Forces blocked roads and prevented gatherings and marches from various points in Kuwait City .
At Kuwait Towers the crowds of men and women marched chanting “peaceful”, and their objections to the electoral amendment.
They held placards that called for the boycott of elections and affirmed that “sovereignty is for the people”.
When prevented from gathering at Seif Palace by officers using tear gas, hundreds continued their march towards Al-Erada Square where they removed barriers and gathered until they were ordered to leave by the National Guard.
Prominent opposition activist and former lawmaker Musallam Al-Barrak was present at the start of the procession and was reportedly detained, however sources deny he was arrested.
The National Guard, Security Forces, police men and women and police patrol cars were earlier deployed at major points of gathering to prevent any processions. Police helicopters were also witnessed during the processions monitoring the events.
The Ministry of Interior had warned on Oct. 20, 2012 that it will not allow any forms of protests, rallies, marches, or overnight sit-ins that are outside of Al-Erada Square for any reason.
Despite the opposition's objections, the Cabinet adopted on Oct. 20, 2012 three draft law-decrees, one of which amends the electoral law and reduces number of votes per eligible voter from four to one. Ministers also approved a decree that sets Dec 1 as the date for parliament elections.
It should be mentioned that during the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit on Oct 15, opposition demonstrators clashed with security officers when attempting a procession. Around six activists were arrested. Four of them are in detention.
A day earlier, the opposition Majority Bloc had rejected the Amir's request to postpone their rally in regards to the summit on the basis that the Cabinet cannot be trusted not to change the electoral system.
Political tension has strongly impacted the Kuwait Stock Exchange which shed 3.05 percent at the start of the business week on Oct. 22, 2012, the biggest single day loss in more than three years.
The wrangling in the country has stalled development despite abundant oil-driven surpluses of more than $400 billion.
In a related development, notable tribal chiefs who met the Amir on Oct. 21, 2012 re-affirmed loyalty to the Amir and Al-Sabah family.
The Public Prosecution on Oct. 21, 2012 interrogated detained former MP Osama Al-Munawer on charges of criticizing the Amir during an opposition seminar which was held recently at the Diwaniya of former MP Mohammed Al-Khalifa.
The Prosecution has also summoned five former MPs to answer similar charges.
Meanwhile, the Prosecution Oct. 21, 2012 ordered the detention of three former MPs for 10 days pending investigation.
In another development, the Criminal Division at the Court of Appeals has set Nov 12 to look into the case of storming the Al-Watan TV channel premises.
Earlier, the Criminal Court had found nine youth activists from the Al-Mutairi tribe guilty and sentenced them to two years imprisonment with hard labor.
Another report[5] said:
The Cabinet adopted on Oct. 20, 2012 three draft law-decrees, one of which amends the electoral law and reduces number of votes per eligible voter from four to one. Ministers also approved a decree that sets Dec 1 as the date for parliament elections.
The first draft law is an amendment of article two of the Elections Law and will allow nationals to vote for a single candidate in their respective constituencies, “in order to protect national unity, enhance democratic practice and achieve equal opportunities and fair representation of the society” in parliament.
The second draft law pertains to the formation of a public anti-corruption authority that can gather the financial disclosures of state officials, who have either been appointed or elected into office. It will be tasked with revealing the financial data of the prime minister, his deputies, ministers, officials, members of the National Assembly and all state employees.
The third draft law establishes an official national committee in charge of organizing elections and election campaigns to ensure the integrity of the process.
Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah said the decisions are based on “Article 71 of the Constitution, which authorizes the Amir the right to issue draft laws while the National Assembly is dissolved.”
Furthermore, Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh reportedly submitted his official resignation in objection to the emergency decree that amends the electoral system. Moreover, two Liberal former MPs and liberal former parliament speaker Mohammed Al-Saqr joined the list of those that will boycott the elections.
The opposition further called for a full boycott of parliament elections and all political and social occasions organized by the authority. It warned the “Interior Minister of attacks on citizens participating in a peaceful procession on Sunday and subsequent days”. The statement also warned protestors “not to cause friction with security forces and stay away from public facilities and private property and maintain a peaceful march”.
A small number of former ‘2009 Assembly' lawmakers, however, have announced they will contest the parliament elections — Shiite former lawmakers Yousef Al-Zalzalah, Faisal Al-Duwaisan and Adnan Al-Mutawa as well as Islamist former MP Khalaf Dumaitheer
The Cabinet has identified the main messages in the Amir's speech across seven points that include:
Kuwait is a democratic country, ruled by constitution and law and has an independent judiciary. Kuwait's Constitution states that “the legislative power is vested in the Amir and the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution, the executive power is vested in the Amir, the Cabinet, and the Ministers, in the manner specified by the Constitution and the judicial power is vested in the Courts, which exercise it in the name of the Amir within the limits of the Constitution”.
This also includes:
All Kuwaitis have to prioritize the state's interest ahead of any other private interests to keep it an island of security, stability and state of law and institutions.
The electoral constituency law, issued in 2006 after opposition-led protests, divides the country into five electoral districts, each electing 10 MPs to the 50-member parliament.
Under that legislation, each eligible voter was allowed to elect a maximum of four candidates. The government's amendment reduces this number to one, the cabinet statement said.
Signed by several opposition groups, an opposition statement accused the regime of creating crises, encouraging the theft of public funds, fuelling sectarian and tribal divisions and blocking development.
Chiefs of bedouin tribes including the head of the largest tribe Awazem, Falah bin Jame, said they will call on their tribes to join a boycott. Tribes make up more than half of Kuwait 's native population of 1.2 million.
Kuwait , which pumps around 3.0 million barrels of oil per day, has been rocked by almost non-stop political crises since 2006, with the cabinet resigning nine times and parliament being dissolved on six occasions.
A brief background
Dr Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Co-Director of the Kuwait Research Programme at the London School of Economics and Associate Fellow of the Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House, said[6]:
Kuwait is in the midst of an intensifying political crisis that poses the greatest risk to the country since its liberation after the 1991 Gulf War.
The result is a showdown between the ruling Sabah family and ever-larger and increasingly assertive segments of the Kuwaiti population.
The current deadlock began in the summer of 2011 when youth groups began calling for the resignation of the Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammed Al Sabah , a nephew of the Emir.
Their weekly demonstrations escalated in September when news broke of a massive political corruption scandal involving the transfer of funds to 16 of Kuwait 's 50 MPs allegedly in return for supporting government policies.
Tensions peaked in November after the Constitutional Court blocked a parliamentary attempt to question the prime minister over the scandal, and around 100 protesters, including MPs, stormed and briefly occupied the National Assembly building.
Although the Emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah, publicly vowed not to give in to street pressure, tens of thousands of Kuwaitis responded by joining rallies calling for the prime minister's removal.
A massive demonstration on 29 November drew more than 50,000 people and decisively forced the Emir's hand.
The prime minister was replaced by his deputy, Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak Al Sabah , another senior member of the ruling family, and parliament was dissolved pending fresh elections in February 2012. These resulted in an opposition landslide as predominantly tribal and Islamist candidates won 34 seats.
The 2012 parliament ran for four turbulent months until it suddenly was declared invalid on 20 June. MPs clashed repeatedly with government ministers and forced the resignation of the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor.
Spiraling political tensions led the Emir to suspend the National Assembly for one month on 18 June, but this was superseded two days later by a ruling by the Constitutional Court that annulled the February election and reinstated the parliament that had been dissolved in December 2011.
This stunning decision plunged Kuwait into a summer of uncertainty and recrimination as opposition figure-heads accused the court of bowing to government pressure and undertaking "a coup against the constitution."
During July and August the reinstated parliament twice tried to reconvene, but on each occasion failed to achieve a quorum as the majority of MPs boycotted the sessions.
After declaring the reinstated parliament "clinically dead" in mid-August, the government further provoked the opposition by asking the Constitutional Court to rule on the validity of the electoral law.
This concerned amendments made in 2006 which divided Kuwait into five parliamentary constituencies, each returning 10 MPs. These replaced a 1981 amendment that had divided Kuwait into 25 constituency districts in a move widely portrayed as a government attempt to gerrymander support in its favor.
The 2006 reform came after prolonged public campaign led by youth movements in a precursor to the networked Arab Spring generation of protesters. Hence, the government's attempt to roll back the law reopened old fault-lines in Kuwaiti politics.
Amid scenes of high drama with riot police surrounding the building, on 25 September the Constitutional Court rejected the government's effort to redraw the political boundaries. On 7 October, the Emir again dissolved the (reinstated) parliament, but delayed announcing the date of the next election until 20 October.
This raised opposition suspicions that Sheikh Sabah might try to change the electoral law by decree - which he did, on 19 October. The amendment will reduce the number of votes cast by each Kuwaiti from four to one.
Most opposition groups and MPs from across the spectrum have pledged to boycott the forthcoming election, and Kuwait faces a volatile return to street politics.
Al-Barrak, who received the highest number of votes in Kuwaiti political history in February, stated that "We will not allow you, your highness, to take Kuwait into the abyss of autocracy… We no longer fear your prisons and your baton sticks," while the crowd defiantly chanted "we will not allow you, we will not allow you."
Al-Barrak's incendiary remarks sent shock waves through a country where public criticism of the Emir is taboo.
The public prosecutor also instigated charges against al-Barrak, arresting three other opposition politicians who had taken part in an earlier rally on Oct. 10. Thus, political tensions already were at boiling point even before the Emir announced his decision to amend the electoral law.
Another mass rally on Oct. 21, 2012 was one of the largest in Kuwait 's history, drawing up to 100,000 demonstrators who were chanting 'We will not allow you.'
This amounted to a show of mass defiance to the ruling family, which had taken the unprecedented step of issuing a statement calling for public obedience to the Emir. Coming just a week after Musallam al-Barrak's intervention, the Emir's authority now has been challenged in new and potentially dangerous ways.
Kuwaitis have been here before. In 1986, then-Emir Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad Al Sabah suspended parliament and severely curtailed civil liberties and freedom of association.
Three years later, an energetic grassroots campaign to restore democracy began to exert real pressure on the ruling family. Early in 1990, the Emir attempted to take the sting out of the protests by installing a watered-down National Assembly.
Most Kuwaitis rejected the move as unconstitutional and refused to take part in the ensuing elections, and a major crisis was only stalled by Saddam Hussein's invasion on August 2. This year's stalemate has obvious parallels in the standoff between the ruling family and public and political opinion.
However, it is complicated by the fact that the predominantly Islamist opposition largely has failed to present a credible alternative vision; their short-lived parliamentary dominance was marred by political score-settling and populist initiatives, such as a move to introduce the death penalty for blasphemy.
Critical time
Tense weeks lie ahead in Kuwait in the run-up to the December 1, 2012 vote. The country has long been at the forefront of democratic evolution in the Gulf. Kuwaitis are intensely protective of their constitutional and political rights, and will oppose any renewed attempt to water them down.
With neither the ruling family nor the opposition in any mood for compromise, there seems little prospect for a negotiated way out of the impasse.
The Emir's immediate response was to call in the heads of leading tribes to receive their pledges of allegiance and loyalty. Falling back on such displays of traditional rulership is a sign that the ruling family is struggling to adapt to the zeitgeist of popular empowerment moving so powerfully through the region.
For they will signify if ruling families are willing voluntarily to cede meaningful levels of control to elected institutions, or whether expressions of popular support for reforms will be resisted and, as in Bahrain, violently suppressed.
Source:
[1] “ Kuwait opposition condemns ‘excessive force'”,http://www.euronews.com/newswires/1700238-kuwait-opposition-condemns-excessive-force/
[3] Arab Times , Nihal Sharaf and Abubakar A. Ibrahim, “No more than ‘20' at public gathering Nod to election committee”, Oct. 23, 2012, http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/189234/reftab/36/Default.aspx
[4] “Protestors flee as tear-gas is fired”, http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/189208/reftab/96/t/Tear-gas-stun-grenades-break-demos/Default.aspx
[5] Arab Times , Oct. 20, 2012, http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/189167/reftab/96/Default.aspx
[6] BBC , “ Kuwait : Political crisis at critical juncture”, Oct. 22, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20026581
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