Kuwait- Opposition rejects changes to Election Law
Date
10/8/2012 1:42:31 AM
(MENAFN- Arab Times) Opposition Political blocs and the mostly Islamist Majority Bloc signed a document on Saturday that rejects any amendments to the elections Law prior to the upcoming parliament elections. The document rejects changes to the five constituencies and the number of votes, saying the matter is the prerogative of the legislative authority.
The signatories include the Majority Bloc, the Kuwaiti Reform Movement, the Popular Bloc, the Reform and Development Bloc, the Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM), as well as liberal MP Saleh Al-Mullah.
News reports predict that HH the Amir sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will approve the decree dissolving the 2009 Assembly this week, as early as Sunday. The government presented HH the Amir with a draft decree to dissolve the 2009 Assembly last Wednesday. However, parliament sources believe that the dissolution will be delayed to later this month, possibly until after Eid Al-Adha.
The political field is witnessing a battle between pro-government lawmakers in support of decrees of urgency and the opposition who don't. Opposition forces warn of decrees of urgency that change the election system amidst rumors that the government is planning a decree to decrease the number of parliament candidates a voter can choose from four to one or two.
Members of the Majority Bloc have announced they will boycott the upcoming elections if the decrees are issued, while youth opposition group "Nahaj" met on Saturday to discuss whether or not to continue gathering at Al-Erada Square to protest any electoral changes.
Meanwhile, pro-government Shiite MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan vowed to re-submit his grilling request against HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah if he's re-elected to parliament. Al-Duwaisan's grilling, submitted on Sept. 30, is on the PM's alleged failure to perform his constitutional duties.
On another note, Islamist MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei commented on Twitter that he believes the Islamic Republic of Iran is planning "to softly engulf Kuwait as it did Lebanon." He stated that he "does not believe Iran is foolish to invade Kuwait as Saddam Hussein did in 1990 but will support and strengthen a certain sect, buy the loyalty of other sects, purchase the advocacy of newspapers and media channels, support a certain parliament majority and bring down the existing one, install heads of state and prime ministers that are loyal to Iran, and pant Iranian intelligence to monitor the situation."
"As a result Lebanon was turned into a country going the direction of Iran, a scenario that is planned for Kuwait," he added.
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