Gulf rulers are sending the world an unequivocal message – their countries will remain an exception to the Arab awakening. As the winds of change blow through the Middle East and north Africa, Gulf states are behaving as if it’s business as usual, pursuing small, incremental political reforms that would be deemed irrelevant, if not insulting, in other parts of the region.
In Bahrain, where a Shia uprising was crushed this year, the authorities held a by-election last weekend to replace Shia members who had withdrawn from parliament in protest at the harsh security crackdown. They portrayed the exercise as a confirmation of the al-Khalifa family’s commitment to political reforms.
Next door in the United Arab Emirates another election was held, this one to a federal national council that has a purely advisory role and in which half the members are, in any case, appointed. The election was billed as a step forward because the number of citizens entitled to take part was significantly increased.
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