Diwaniyas in Kuwait maintain social role during elections

Candidates, with approach of July 27 parliamentary elections day, are intensifying their campaigns either in their headquarters, media or social media networks. Yet the diwaniya (a social gathering place in Kuwait) is maintaining its deep-rooted tradition linking past and present, and bring candidates and voters in face-to-face discussions. With the rapid development of sophisticated technology means which enable candidates to communicate with their voters via a finger tip, visiting diwaniyas is still very effective tool to talk with voters in person over a host of matters. Electoral process in Kuwait has witnessed dramatic changes, said Hussein Hassan Al-Yoha, a unionist. "The world has become a small village due to the sophisticated technology and communication means, and it will certainly affect the electoral process in the country," Al-Yoha told KUNA. Elections in the past in Kuwait "have a special flavor" because of their simplicity and the common objectives and aspirations of candidates, which generally dealt with development of Kuwait and its people, he said. Despite the advancement of technology, he added, the "diwaniya remains one of the successful means of candidates to attract voters." Al-Yoha said candidates have become more direct in their criticism because the political awareness among the public has grown. The unionist said democracy and communication within the Kuwaiti society were not restricted to elections "but a social behavior exercised by Kuwaitis in their diwaniyas through the exchange of visits and meetings." He described diwaniyas in Kuwait as "small popular parliaments." Meanwhile, play writer and critic Sulaiman Al-Huzami said diwaniyas play a major role during election campaigns. "Some candidates visit diwaniyas that are in harmony with their objectives and support their ideas, while neglect the opposing diwaniyas," Al-Huzami told KUNA. Generally speaking, he added, diwaniyas play "a major role in the exchange and interaction of views ... but the social value of the diwaniya has nowadays declined due to the lack of trust between the candidate and voters." Abdulhaleem Maarafi, a voter, said diwaniya was a suitable place to exchange views over candidates or even interacting with them face-to-face. "Diwaniyas in the past contribute to the election of MPs," he said in a statement to KUNA. Maarafi, however, acknowledged that that technology was abused to spread rumors over candidates, whereas campaigns in the past were simple and completely dependent on direct interactions between candidates and voters.