In two days, Kuwaitis will vote in their second parliamentary election in as many years. It will be one of the few genuine elections in the region, with voters knowing that the successful candidates will have the opportunity to haul cabinet ministers over the coals, check legislation and question their government’s actions.

Kuwait’s democratic process has enabled it to stand out as a model for reformers in the Arab world, with many arguing it is the only state in the region that can lay claim to a genuinely vibrant political system, even though parties are banned.