KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s opposition will boycott any future poll under a controversial electoral law amended last year, even if the constitutional court upholds the amendment next month, a former MP said yesterday.
The highly anticipated verdict is due to be handed down on June 16. Opposition former MPs “decided to boycott the next election if the constitutional court confirms” the amendment, Faisal Al Muslim said after a lengthy meeting. Kuwait’s 50-seat parliament is entirely made up of government loyalists, with not a single opposition lawmaker after the opposition boycotted a general election last December.
Under the amended law, ordered by Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah in October, each voter chooses a single candidate compared with a maximum of four under the previous law issued in 2006 after popular protests.
Muslim said yesterday’s meeting was attended by 24 former MPs and the boycott decision has authorisation from at least six others, as well as being backed by many opposition groups.
The electoral law divides the oil-rich Gulf emirate into five electoral districts, with 10 MPs elected from each district to the 50-seat parliament.
As a result of the amendment, almost all opposition groups and former MPs boycotted the December poll on the grounds that the amendment allows the government to manipulate election results to create a rubber-stamp parliament.
The opposition former MPs decided “that without reinstating the 2006 electoral law, they will not participate in any polls,” Muslim said.
The constitutional court, whose rulings are final, is due to rule next month on 23 challenges to the amended electoral law and the December election process.
Appeals court orders retrial of oppn chief
KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s appeals court yesterday quashed a five-year jail term given to opposition leader and former MP Mussallam Al Barrak last month for allegedly insulting the emir and ordered a retrial, a defence lawyer said.
“The (appeals) court declared the lower court verdict against Barrak illegal and cancelled it. It also agreed to call witnesses in the next hearing,” Mohammad Abdulqader Al Jassem said.
The appeals court has said it will retry the case at a hearing set for June 9, Jassem added.
The lower court handed Barrak the sentence on April 18 even after the defence team walked out of the trial when the judge refused to summon a number of dignitaries as witnesses.
Kuwait grants Oman $2.5bn in aid
KUWAIT: Kuwait has granted fellow Gulf Arab state Oman $2.5bn to fund development projects as part of a regional programme initiated in 2011 after protests, Oman’s state news agency reported yesterday.
Richer Gulf Arab oil exporters pledged in March 2011 to extend $10bn over 10 years to Bahrain and Oman to support economic development. The Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development will supply the amount in annual instalments to Oman over a 10-year period, the agency said.
Libya appoints new interior minister
TRIPOLI: Libya’s General National Congress, the country’s top political body, has approved the appointment of Mohammed Khalifa Al Sheikh as the new interior minister after his predecessor resigned.
“The members of the General National Congress voted on Sunday night in favour of Mohamed Khalifa Al Sheikh who was proposed by the prime minister to replace Ashur Shwayel who presented his resignation,” said the GNC.
Agencies
