KUWAIT: A
demonstration held outside the Kuwaiti parliament over alleged rampant
corruption was reminiscent of past crises that have marred political life in
the oil-rich Gulf state. The gathering on Wednesday night by hundreds of
protesters, the first of its kind in the emirate for several months, comes at a
time of mass demonstrations against graft in Lebanon and Iraq. Kuwait is the
only member of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to have witnessed
such anti-government protests. Here is a look at the causes and possible
impact.

Why are Kuwaitis
angry?

At the opening
ceremony of the newly-elected parliament last week, pro-government speaker
Marzouq Al-Ghanem lashed out at what he said was gross exaggeration of the
extent of corruption in Kuwait. He said there were attempts to show Kuwait as
if it were "the capital of the corruption world and that all Kuwaitis are
involved in corruption."

The provocative
statement angered citizens and triggered the protest, said political analyst
Ibrahim Dashti. "Citizens feel that corruption is widespread everywhere.
We are one of the world's richest countries but still have no good roads;
(public) education and health services have deteriorated," Dashti said.

Kuwait ranks 78th
on the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by Transparency
International-the worst performance of any of the oil-rich Gulf states. The
government-appointed Anti-Corruption Authority said last year it received 196
complaints regarding corruption cases but referred only 34 of them for
investigation.

What's next?

Given the current
mood across the region, commentators are watching to see if the Kuwait
demonstrations escalate, and if so whether the government will be vulnerable.
At Wednesday's protest, unlike previous demonstrations, no political
organizations were invited and no speeches made, making its impact difficult to
assess.

Kuwait witnessed
large-scale demonstrations in late 2011, coinciding with the Arab Spring
uprisings. Those rallies, led by opposition groups and lawmakers, were also
focused on combatting corruption and pressing for political and constitutional
reforms. The protests forced then prime minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad
Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to step down. His Highness the Amir issued a decree to
dissolve parliament and call for early polls. If the latest protests continue,
"the government of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak
Al-Sabah will resign and snap polls will be held," said Dashti.

Are protests
allowed?

Kuwaitis are allowed to hold peaceful protests as part of their constitutional rights, on condition they obtain a permit from the authorities. Unlike its Gulf neighbors, Kuwait has a vibrant political life and an elected parliament. It became the first Gulf state to have a constitution and elected chamber in 1962. The 50-seat parliament also has powers to hold ministers to account in Kuwait, whose citizens make up about 30 percent of the 4.7-million population. - AFP