KUWAIT CITY, Dec 8: Former speaker of Parliament Jassem Al-Khorafi is unlikely to run in the upcoming elections, sources in-formed the Arab Times on Thursday.
This came after the former speaker sent an unprecedented thank you letter to the National Assembly Secre-tariat expressing his appreciation for all the hard work, cooperation and wished them the best in all future endeavors in the service of Kuwait.

People close to Al-Khorafi said that this was a very clear indication of the former speaker’s intent not to take part in the polls. Al-Khorafi had been speaker of the National Assembly since 1999.
Prior to the Parliament dissolution Al-Khorafi had indicated he would not run in the next elections, the sources add. Although the news could not be independently confirmed, some of the social networking sites such as Twitter and a source close to the family said the news was true.

Meanwhile, Shiite liberal former MP Rola Dashti officially announced her candidacy in the Third Constituency. “The next phase calls for addressing malignant policies that aim at destroying community values and creating division. I will face the challenges with courage until my dream of seeing Kuwait a cradle of pride, sophistication, civilizations and progress is realized,” she said in a statement to the press.

Furthermore, Shiite MP Saleh Ashour expressed his hope for early elections to open a new political chapter in Kuwait. He said the previous chapter was unsuccessful and citizens were living in dissatisfaction and anxiety for the future of the country.

The former MP thanked the Kuwaiti people for their interest in democratic parliamentary life in Kuwait, especially those in the First Constituency. Ashour’s statements indicate that he may not contest in the upcoming elections; however he did not formally announce his stance. Rumors also circulated on Thursday alleging pro-government Hussein Al-Huraiti and Mikhled Al-Azmi, who are both accused of being “bribed MPs,” are not running in the elections.

In another development, Opposition Bloc former MPs Mohammed Hayef, Mubarak Al-Walaan, Hussein Mizyed, Shuaib Al-Muwaizri and Ali Al-Deqbasi have formally announced that they will boycott primary elections, which are illegal under the electoral law.

In a joint statement, they said their decision stems from their commitment to abide by the law and uphold the Constitution, to ensure a fair election and to achieve the people’s aspiration for a new Parliament that can realize their ambitions.