By Lily Thomas, Zachary Leggio, and Mayerlyn Rivera
Edition 5: April 1-April 7
Upcoming
Kuwait
Kuwait’s legislative election is taking place on April 4, with the hopes of restoring some order to the Gulf state’s fragile democracy. Kuwait’s head of state, Emir Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, dissolved parliament in February 2024, citing “offensive and uncontrolled” criticism of the royal family by lawmakers. This marked the twelfth time that parliament had been dissolved since 2006.
In Kuwait, the emir is the head of state and a member of the Al-Sabah royal family. This figure is in charge of appointing the prime minister, or head of government, who is usually a member of the royal family, as well. While Kuwait’s constitution gives the parliament more liberal powers than most other gulf states, the emir still has the power to dissolve parliament, keeping Kuwait’s democracy weak. Political parties are illegal in Kuwait, so every candidate in this election will be running as an independent, although there are factions and alliances covering the whole political spectrum, from islamists to secularists.
These elections, according to experts, are a democratic reckoning for Kuwait, though it is unlikely that they will alter the course of the country’s future. While Kuwait has been liberal when it comes to allowing civil protests and freedom of the press, it would be unsurprising if the state falls victim to the royal absolutism that has taken over many other young gulf democracies. Nevertheless, the parliament of Kuwait still exists as the best way for citizens to voice their opinions, and these elections will serve as an opportunity for them to show their support for democratic institutions and oppose the emir’s continued advances against democracy.
Recaps
Türkiye
The Republic of Türkiye, better known as Turkey, held elections that were effectively a referendum on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government and his ruling party, the AKP. The elections took place in Turkey’s largest cities, namely Ankara and Istanbul, which opposition parties, such as the CHP and IP, took control of in 2019. This year’s elections were an opportunity for the Turkish people to voice their opinion on Erdoğan’s leadership, following his reelection as president in 2023.
The outcome of the elections marked a major defeat for the AKP’s candidates. In Istanbul, the CHP’s candidate for mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu won by over 10%, solidifying him as Erdoğan’s most important rival. Polls had predicted the CHP to lose ground across the country after the opposition’s alliance collapsed, following the 2023 presidential election, but these mayoral elections proved the opposite. In a speech, Erdoğan acknowledged this defeat, which was his worst since coming to power in 2002, claiming that his coalition must step back and change course to be more attractive to voters. It was predicted that an AKP victory could embolden Erdoğan to rewrite the constitution in order to retain power, but this defeat demonstrates the Turkish peoples’ resistance to his influence on the country.
Photo Credit: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kuwait-sets-june-6-date-legislative-elections-kuna-2023-05-03/
