Kuwaiti Economy in Crisis a Sideshow as Nation Goes to Polls
- Parliament with power is still unique in the Arab Gulf region
- Virus pandemic and loss of faith seen lowering voter turnout
A billboard featuring the candidates running for parliamentary elections in Kuwait City on Nov. 30.
Photographer: Yasser Al-Zayyat/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Kuwaitis get another chance Saturday to do something rare in the Arab Gulf -- elect lawmakers with a real say in how their country is run.
Yet it’s hard to detect much enthusiasm. The parliamentary election comes at a make-or-break moment for an economy reeling from lower oil prices, the pandemic and stalled reform. But rescue efforts are stuck as a government appointed by Kuwait’s ruler and lawmakers with enough power to probe and delay legislation disagree over the best way forward.