لخير سلف...

This post is dedicated to Kleio & Tony Blair's eloquence.


Gordon Brown will try his utmost, I'll do the same with blogging.

This week, everyone -except Kuwaiti Bloggers- seems interested with 10 Downing Street (an exaggeration?). Tony Blair departed, his rival/mate Gordon Brown took over, choosing a "young" (42yrs old) Foreign secretary, the new Government is likely to be less pro-American, with increased focus on climate change & economy. (listen to the BBC World Service, in Kuwait, on 100.1 FM).

So, the theme of this post is British Politics. I'll try to compare* it with ours, or let's say "Kuwaitize" it, with an iDipist touch.
Little objectiveness ahead!

Head of State

Enough said ;)

Prime Minister (PM)

Chosen by the people, summoned by the Monarch

vs.

Designated by the Amir

Government

Chosen by and according to the parliamentary majority
vs.
Chosen by the PM, approved by the Amir

Senior Posts - المناصب السيادية

PM, Chancellor (Treasury), Home Secretary & Foreign Secretary (Great Offices of the State)
vs.
PM, Defense, Interior & Foreign Affairs portfolios (Held by the Ruling Family members - a praxis)

Parliament

Bicameral
vs.
Unicameral

(the rest will be about the House of Commons & Kuwait's National Assembly)

Speaker

Again, enough said ;p

Members of Parliament (MPs)
(current number of MPs is bracketed)

2 major parties (554), a smaller party (62), various "mini" parties (29) & infrequent independents (1) Link
vs.
Mainly independents(20+/-), MPs with ideological backgrounds(16+/-), plus some partisans (14) Link - Illustration

Opposition

The second major party in the Elections (HM Loyal Opposition)
vs.
Case-by-case opposition (Personal feuds are a recurrent source of opposition)

Questioning

a regular & enjoyable procedure
(watch: PMQs)
vs.
paralyzing, annoying, graphic, personal & lengthy (sometimes... funny, loathsome & frivolous)

Whips

Elected by his party (Currently 3: Government (L), Opposition (C) & a Liberal Democrat)
vs.
Each bloc has an assigned coordinator, who frequently acts as a whip (Islamist:أحمد باقر, Populist:مسلم البراك, National:مشاري العنجري & Independent:طلال العيار)

Frontbenchers

The Government, the Opposition (Shadow Cabinet), leading Liberals & Whips
vs.
The Government, plus Veteran, outspoken, staunch loyalists and/or opposition MPs
e.g.
أحمد السعدون-محمد الصقر-ناصر الصانع-عدنان عبدالصمد-ضيف الله بورمية-عادل الصرعاوي-وليد الطبطبائي

Backbenchers

New MPs, senior ex-ministers and/or constituency-focused MPs
vs.
at least 15, the most "remarkable" of them are:
أحمد الشحومي-أحمد لاري-علي العمير-وليد العصيمي-غانم الميع-جمال العمر-راعي الفحماء-محمد المطير-جابر المحيلبي-مرزوق الغانم-مزعل النمران

أترككم مع هذا القدر من السياسة، لأن كثرتها تضر العقل والبدن، وأذكركم بأن في مثل هذا اليوم قبل عام كنتم تدلون بأصواتكم في انتخابات مجلس الأمة، لتصبح الدوائر الانتخابية خمسا، وليندم بعضكم لاحقا على تصويته

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* In University, I had D+ in Comparative Politics.


مشهد و أغنية من مسرحية ممثل الشعب
الشاطر فيكم يعرف بو ذياب