Bench

The bench with the deep seat sits in front of the Kuwaiti Parliament, designed by Jørgen Utzon, the Danish architect, in 1973. Kuwait is a constitutional emirate with a semi-democratic political system. Formation of political parties is not permitted, but political groupings have been allowed to emerge, including religious and secular blocs. The prime minister is not appointed by parliament, but rather by the Kuwaiti monarch, the Emir. He functions as both formal and actual chief executive, although parliament also has the option to intervene in and influence the legislation process. The Emir’s political privileges, however, are extensive and furthermore entitle him to appoint officers for the army, order new legislation, demand that proposals be re-examined, and dissolve parliament, which has happened a couple of times. Kuwait's political system is therefore hybrid, combining an elected parliament with an appointed government. After a long and complex process, women were given the right to vote in 2005, but their participation in Kuwaiti politics is still limited. In spite of the large majority of foreigners present in Kuwait, corresponding roughly to two-thirds of the total population, only Kuwaiti citizens are allowed to vote in parliamentary elections.