Safaa Al-Hashem: A discrepancy after the loss of the only female...

The results of the Kuwaiti legislative elections carried great surprises, as the percentage of change in the composition of the National Assembly reached 62 percent.

And the Kuwait News Agency published the names of the winning candidates for the five constituencies, and their total number is 50 deputies.

Only 19 deputies from the previous parliamentary session, led by the former speaker of parliament, MP Marzouq Al-Ghanem, succeeded.

On the other hand, Representative Safaa Al-Hashem failed to maintain her seat in the new council.

With Al-Hashem’s loss, female faces will be absent from parliament for the first time since Kuwaiti women were allowed to run for elections in 2008.

The election results disappointed the hopes and aspirations of some Kuwaiti activists, who described the absence of women from the new parliamentary scene as a “setback.”

Kuwaiti commentators attributed the failure of women to obtain a parliamentary seat for several reasons.

There are those who linked it to the prevailing ideology in society, which “still tends to favor men in political work over women.”

While some attribute the decline in the presence of women in Parliament to “the restrictions of the one-vote system that limits the choices of citizens, so they tend to vote for the son of the clan or family,” according to their interpretation.

However, other commentators believe that the future of women’s political and societal participation depends on the woman herself.

Activists believe that the “poor performance and lackluster presence of some former female parliamentarians and their closeness to the government’s orientation” were sufficient reasons for the decline in women’s representation opportunities.

One of them commented: “Unfortunately, women have not proven their presence in the National Assembly. The correct choice must be based on the candidate’s ability and knowledge of people’s concerns and history in serving his community, regardless of tribal and gender affiliations.”

While another tweet wrote: “A parliament without women, with a greater percentage of women voting than men, is evidence of women’s lack of conviction in the role of women.”

Commentator Helan said that “democracy has produced a reality that must be respected,” adding that “the failure of any woman does not insult the integrity of democracy and does not negate Kuwaitis’ respect for women.” .

Interest in the results was not limited to Kuwaitis, but extended to include commentators from other Arab countries, especially Egypt.

Egyptian tweeters singled out a part of their comments to talk about Safaa Al-Hashem, whose name is the social networking sites in the country.

The interest of Egyptians in the loss of the Kuwaiti MP comes in the context of her previous statements about foreign workers.

Al-Hashem, who was affiliated with the liberal trend, was known for her sharp criticism of her country’s policy towards expatriates. It has often called for a halt to the recruitment of Egyptians, especially in professions such as teaching, on the pretext that they benefit from the country’s goods more than its people.

In the first comment after losing the elections, Safaa Al-Hashem expressed her pride in what she presented during the last period.

Safaa’s critics expressed their happiness with this result and considered it evidence of the Kuwaiti people’s rejection of “the slogans of hate and bullying that the MP was repeating,” as they put it.

As for the supporters of Safaa Al-Hashem, they consider her an example of the successful Arab warrior and a female voice facing the male community, as they describe.

Al-Hashem was elected for the first time in 2012, in a session of the Council that was canceled by a decision of the Constitutional Court, but the MP repeated the attempt to win the Council the following year.

She was also re-elected in 2016, to be the only woman among men in that cycle.

Despite the intensification of women’s groups’ activities, the representation of women in the National Assembly has witnessed a progressive decline in recent years.

From 4 women in the 2009 Majlis, the number decreased to 3 in 2012, then two women MPs in 2013, and then one in 2016, as the last elections witnessed male control over the Council.

The results showed the absence of known names who had remained in the council for several consecutive sessions. What is striking about these elections is the rise of a new generation of young people, according to local media.

Analysts say that the major change in the composition of the National Assembly gives an indication of voter anger at the performance of the representatives of the previous assembly, and their desire to change conditions and fight corruption.

In this context, Jamal Raja Al-Enezi commented: “The voters’ message is clear and clear with change and their dissatisfaction with the lean years in the 2016 and earlier councils. Will the government read this message carefully? ”

According to the announced results, the Islamic Constitutional Movement (Hadas), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, was able to win 3 parliamentary seats, while the Salafi Islamist Gathering failed for the second time in a row to be represented in the National Assembly.

The Shiite representation remained the same despite the change of faces.

Observers believe that the new results ‘Suggest that the next parliament will carry a strong opposition to the government ‘ .

According to Agence France-Presse and Reuters, the Kuwaiti opposition strengthened its position by winning 24 deputies affiliated with it.

Kuwait was the first Arab Gulf state to adopt a parliamentary system in 1962. It granted women the right to vote and run in elections in 2005.

Kuwait enjoys an active political life, and its parliament, whose members are elected for a four-year term, has broad legislative powers. Any deputy can question the prime minister or any minister.