KUWAITI voters go to the polls today to elect a parliament for the second time since the 1991 liberation of the emirate from Iraqi occupation.
But instead of celebrating the uniqueness of Kuwait's limited democratic experiment in the authoritarian princely Gulf, Kuwaitis are discouraged about the prospects of consultative government in their country and fearful about the future of the emirate.
Firstly, Kuwait has not broadened the electoral roll since liberation, although the ruling alSabah family made a pledge to do so once the emirate was freed from Iraqi occupation.
The electorate still consists only of the 120,000 "first class" male citizens, aged 21 years and over, who registered as citizens in 1920, and their descendants about one seventh of those currently bearing Kuwaiti nationality.
The outcome of the last poll in 1992 was carefully choreographed by the ruling family, so that the 50 seat National Assembly was dominated by conservative tribal and Islamist elements, 16 of whom were co opted into the government headed by the Crown Prince, Shaikh Saad Ahdallah alSabah. Reform minded Arab nationalist elements were marginalised.
As a result, the last assembly did not initiate the changes - extension of "first class" citizenship and women's suffrage - that liberal Kuwaitis expected.
Secondly, the crisis precipitated by Baghdad's involvement in Kurdish tribal warfare in northern Iraq early in September reminded Kuwaitis that they remain precariously dependent on the US for their security and sovereignty.
The fact that Iraq may soon begin to emerge from its isolation and export limited amounts of oil has also destabilised the price of the commodity on which Kuwaitis depend for their livelihoad.
Last month, overwhelming fear of Iraq drove the emirate to adopt a position of uncritical support of US missile strikes against Iraq, isolating the country from its Gulf partners and Arab nations vary, of Washington's interventionist policy.
Thirdly, Kuwait has reverted to its old pattern of relying an foreign workers to bath run the administration and perform the menial jabs Kuwait is shun.
Once again there are mare foreigners in Kuwait than Kuwaitis. The latter have resumed their luxurious lifestyle, although falling revenues from oil no longer sustain their high level of conspicuous consumption.
Today's pall is expected to canfirm rather than reverse current trends.
