In an interview with the website of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, Hassan Hanizadeh referred to the results of the parliamentary elections in Kuwait and stated: After independence from Iraq in 1962 and formation of an independent government, Kuwait has always gone through special conditions and the controlled democracy and the dynamic parliament is part of the characteristics of the country’s governance.
Saying that unlike other Arab countries, Kuwait has always had free parliamentary elections, he added: Unlike the elections that were held in the past six decades, the recent elections have been accompanied by challenges because Saudi Arabia tried to influence the parliamentary elections and enter the Salafis affiliated with Wahhabism into the Kuwaiti parliament and has been successful in some cases.
The analyst of West Asia affairs continued: In several elections, including the last one, the Salafis were able to win the majority, for this reason, a serious challenge has arisen between the parliament and the government of Kuwait. Of course, the Kuwaiti parliament has been dissolved eight times by the top brass of that country due to the escalation of differences between the victorious movements in the parliament.
Hanizadeh, stating that the elections were held two months after the dissolution of the parliament due to intensification of the differences between the executive and legislative branches, and the Emir of Kuwait had promised not to interfere in the work of the parliament after its formation, added: In this period of elections, three major political currents, including the Shaabi coalition, comprising the Shiite-Sunni and nationalists, liberal-secular, and also the Islamist coalition, which includes members of the Brotherhood, the Salafists, and independents, competed with each other.
The expert on West Asia affairs added: In this competition, the composition of the new representatives of the Kuwaiti Parliament has changed by 54 percent and only 12 candidates were re-elected from the previous round. During this period, the opponents of the Kuwaiti government gained a significant political achievement by winning about 60 percent of the seats.
Hanizadeh pointed out that in the current elections, among the 50 representatives, two women have entered the parliament for the first time, while in the previous periods there was no female representative in the parliament, adding: despite the media campaigns of Saudi Arabia and the UAE against Shiites, the results of the reports show that Shiite parties have managed to get 10 seats, which are considered as acceptable seats as they can create a powerful faction. In this election, the Salafi, Brotherhood and independent groups won only 8 seats.
He added: the weak presence of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis among the elected representatives shows that the approach of the Kuwaiti people is to change some procedures towards moderation and maintain internal security and peace, and with these elections, Kuwait will have an independent and powerful parliament, because the parliament in Kuwait, unlike other countries on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf, has high competence and authority, and according to the constitution, all the laws in that country must first be approved by the parliament and then approved by the Emir of that country, and the parliamentarians have the right to question the prime minister and the ministers in addition to the vote of no confidence in any of the proposed ministers.
The analyst of West Asia affairs noted: However, due to the diversity of the presence of different currents and groups, if the differences between the factions escalate, the Emir of Kuwait can definitely dissolve the parliament.
Hanizadeh, stating that the Shiite factions in the Kuwaiti parliament believe in deepening relations with Iran and avoiding being influenced by the interventions of some regional and extra-regional powers in Kuwait’s internal issues, continued: In this period, one of the election candidates who, in an interview with a Zionist media had announced that the majority of the people of that country want to establish relations with the Zionist regime, won very few votes, and even some Arab media described it as a resounding response from the people of Kuwait through the ballot boxes to the process of compromise and compromisers.
Recalling that 30 members of the internal opposition have succeeded in winning the elections in the current period, he said: The Kuwaiti government has tried to moderate the security view of the Shiites and the Shiites in that country also want stability and peace in their country. This approach has allowed Shiites to participate in government institutions.
The expert on West Asia affairs stated that the political impasse in the previous government and the differences between the executive and legislative branches have tired the people and they want stability and peace in their country, and explained: Before the elections, polls indicated that the main motivation of the Kuwaitis to elect new representatives is to fight against political and financial corruption and to solve economic problems and improve the living conditions of the people of that country.
Referring to Kuwaiti media reports that the Emir of that country has appointed his eldest son, who was previously the first deputy prime minister, to form the cabinet, Hanizadeh emphasized: How to continue the work of the parliament, realize the slogans and the possibility of continuing the activities of the representatives under the condition in which there is a lot of plurality among them depends on the function of the fractions. But it seems that in this period, Shiites are trying to play an effective role in the domestic and foreign policy of the country by maintaining coherence. In one of the previous periods, Shiites had won 17 seats, and in that period, relations between Iran and Kuwait reached an acceptable level.
Considering the high powers of the Emir of Kuwait, if he determines that this term of the parliament will be dangerous for the internal stability of Kuwait and is in conflict with the government, this term of the parliament will also be dissolved, he said: It seems that in this period, we will witness the active role of Kuwait in the region, as well as the establishment of wider relations with countries such as Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq, as well as the Axis of Resistance. Parliamentary experience in Kuwait has shown that whenever the Shiites have had an active presence in the country’s parliamentary factions, stability and security have increased in that country.