Unprecedented criticism of the ruling Al-Sabah dynasty has emerged amid campaigning ahead of Saturday’s vote in the Gulf nation.
"The main problem in the domestic political arena is the feud among members of the (ruling) family," Islamist candidate Khaled Sultan told a campaign rally on Sunday night.
"It is a problem that needs to be resolved and the solution is in the hands of the emir alone," Sultan insisted.
He was echoing several liberal and independent candidates who have voiced concern that family infighting had undermined the previous parliament, which was dissolved in March.
"Kuwait is paying the price of these disputes … No one can doubt our loyalty to the Al-Sabah, but differences should not be allowed to continue because they are affecting political life and parliament," said liberal MP Mohammad al-Sager.
Some candidates have accused senior member of the family of interfering in the election, but no one has questioned the legitimacy of the dynasty, which has been in power for 250 years.
In fact, all thoe critics have said they want the squabbling to end so that the family can lead the country to greater prosperity.
"They should know that the whole Kuwaiti people … want them and refuse any attempt to create a problem between them and us," said independent candidate Marzouk al-Ghanem.
In January 2006 the royal family faced a succession row — the most serious in a century — after the death of the emir, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah.
His successor, ailing emir Sheikh Saad Abdullah al-Sabah was voted out of office by parliament only nine days after ascending the throne. Lawmakers later confirmed then prime minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah as new ruler.
Kuwait’s rulers have been more tolerant to criticism than their counterparts in other parts of the Gulf, allowing a wide margin of freedom, including a relatively free and lively press. They pride themselves on not having a single political prisoner in the emirate.
However, the emirate’s rulers have dissolved parliament five times in the past three decades, two of them without immediately calling fresh elections.
Two of those dissolutions resulted from a standoff between MPs and the government, but some candidates say it was more because of family infighting affecting parliament.
"What has been happening lately is a struggle among some members of the ruling family, and they have made parliament the arena of this infighting," former minister and parliamentary candidate Abdulmohsen al-Mudej told a rally.
"If members of the family strike a compromise, we will have a new parliament much different from the previous one," Sager said.
Political stalemate in the emirate has motivated some political groups and former MPs to call for reforms that would include legalising political parties, which are banned, and appointing a commoner as prime minister.
Besides the emir and crown prince, the ruling family controls the premiership and all the so-called sovereign ministries — defense, interior and foreign affairs.
OPEC member Kuwait is pumping 2.5 million barrels of oil per day and has state foreign assets of over 250 billion dollars. Its native population is just over one million, along with 2.35 million foreign residents.
