Tuesday, Jun 18, 2013
Manama: Kuwait’s government will on Wednesday announce the date of the parliamentary elections, a local daily said.
“The cabinet will hold an extraordinary session on Wednesday to make a decision on the date of the new elections,” Al Anba reported. “The ministers will look into the measures to be taken to implement the ruling of the Constitutional Court and the decrees needed to be issued.”
The court on Sunday dissolved the parliament elected on December 1, but upheld a decree by the Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah amending the 2006 electoral law and reducing the number of ballots a voter could cast from four to one. Under Kuwait’s laws, the new parliament has to be elected within 60 days of the publication of a court ruling to dissolve the standing legislative house. Options available to the cabinet include scheduling the elections in Ramadan or right after the end of the month sacred to Muslims. Several former lawmakers planning to run in the new polls favoured having the polls in Ramadan, expected to start on July 9.
“We should make sure we avoid holding the elections in mid-August when a high number of Kuwaitis will be out of the country on vacation,” ex-MP Yousuf Al Zelzala said. The ruling by the court has seemingly boosted the morale of those keen on running in the elections, the Kuwaiti daily said.
“A large figure of tribes that boycotted the December elections have informed the government that they would run in the next polls following the ruling by the Constitutional Court,” the daily said, quoting sources it did not name.
However, the opposition, reportedly shattered by the decision of the country’s highest court, is still pondering its options. “We were not surprised by the ruling,” Sa’ad Al Ajami, secretary general of the Civil Democracy Movement (Hadam), said. “We are currently reviewing our political proposal for constitutional amendments with several public figures, especially the young people. We will achieve positive results,” he said.
Ahmad Al Saadoun, the former parliament Speaker and a leader in the opposition movement, told a gathering of ex-MPs that the people of Kuwait should boycott the elections. However, the call is likely to have little impact amid a growing push for political stability after months of turmoil and demands by some opposition figures to reassess their tactics and choices.
“The opposition has made serious mistakes that have deeply harmed it,” opposition figure Mohammad Al Jasem, said. “It has to make clear choices and decide about the language it wants to use, its mechanisms and its leaders. We do not have perspectives or philosophy and the number of our followers has dwindled,” the lawyer reportedly said.
By Habib Toumi ?Bureau Chief
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
