When Kuwait’s next ruler takes power he will need to reassure competing factions in the Al-Sabah dynasty that he is protecting their interests and maintaining stability, making progress toward democratic reforms unlikely, at least at the beginning.
Current ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 83, has resisted opposition demands for more policy-making authority in an increasingly assertive parliament, which he has dissolved several times. Designated successor Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, the emir’s 75-year-old brother, will face the same pressures.
looking beyond borders 