Michael Herb

A new Washington Post editorial deploring the suspension of the Kuwaiti parliament, and criticizing the Biden administration for its truly inadequate response when asked about it: "we are aware..." wapo.st/3z8R4CG

Solid data showing that Kuwaitis support democracy, despite frustration with the NA. "...an overwhelming majority perceive the “ability to freely choose political leaders in elections” to be a very essential pillar of democracy or human dignity." @yureenoh

@SamCA3_ @courtneyfreer Yes, that makes it even more surprising.

@mike_herb @courtneyfreer And his father and grandfather were never Emirs.

The Gulf monarchies have been moving to father-son successions. But Kuwait's new crown prince, Sabah al-Khaled, is the emir's second cousin (in the male line).

@YomSean I think a sigh of relief is in order. If the new emir wanted to remake Kuwait along the lines of other more autocratic Gulf states, a lateral succession is not what we would expect. Nor would we necessarily expect a CP with so much experience with the National Assembly.

@mike_herb There have been INTENSE internal debates from what I can glean from the leaky sieve. There was a reason why locals were gossiping so intensely about the father-son dynamic coming to Kuwait, so I think more than a few political vets are (relatively) sighing some relief at this

Did you know #Kuwait holding elections today even after suspension of NA-related articles in the constitution on May 10? By-elections for 2 seats in Municipal Council No elections fatigue in our playbook! Nor is letting go of rights preserved in constit. despite NA suspension.

An order for the arrest of a former MP, @AnwarAlFicker, for statements he made while campaigning. The statements "touched on the authority of the emir" ("التدخل بصلاحيات الأمير") «النيابة» تأمر بضبط وإحضار النائب السابق أنور الفكر aljarida.com/article/62734

More words here re: Kuwait alongside @kdiwaniya @bmalsaif dw.com/en/kuwaits-uni…

There was no boycott: even citizens fed up with the NA should have voted, if only because the emir very clearly told everyone to go vote and that they couldn't blame anyone else for the results if they did not vote. (All quotes are approximate.) 7/7 alqabas.com/article/5928152

I do not know of a better way, short of a survey, to get a sense of the mood in Kuwait. Kuwaitis just last month elected these MPs in fair elections. The MPs hold diverse opinions on many issues. 6/

Three days after the suspension of the Kuwaiti constitution some former MPs have posted statements in support (more or less) of the suspension: @AlFadhelAhmad @MajidMusaad (with enthusiasm) @Jenan_bushehri @SaadAlkhanfor Fahad Masoud reposted a statement by ... 1/

Join us TOMORROW at 11 AM ET for a virtual panel on #Kuwait's future without a parliament. Featured speakers: Ambassador @PNT_Gulf, Dr. @courtneyfreer, and Dr. @mike_herb. For more info and to RSVP: gulfif.org/event/the-futu…

Great analysis as usual, especially on the reasons for so few members of the ruling family in the new government.

So one would have expected a clean slate of new ministers charged with solving Kuwait's administrative problems. Maybe this is that cabinet, but the appointment feels hurried and not part of a larger strategy. 3/3

It had been hard to recruit new ministers under the threat of interpellation and with so much turnover that a minister could not reasonably expect to serve for long enough to accomplish much before being replaced. 2/

There are very, very high expectations for the new Kuwaiti government: many blame the deadlock between the National Assembly and the govt for Kuwait's administrative dysfunction. Without the NA, much is now expected of the new government. 1/