Hopefuls tap power of social media ahead of Nov 26th poll

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KUWAIT CITY, Nov 6, (KUNA): Social media means have dominated the media arena ahead of the upcoming Parliamentary elections slated for November 26 after imposing itself as one of the most prominent media outlets used by candidates to attract Kuwaiti voters. Smartphones left a clear imprint on the lives of people and their social relations in light of modern technology and communications revolution, thus, dominating their minds and times, prompting candidates to take advantage of these most influential tools to manage their campaigns, particularly those pertinent to media.

The diversity of services and privileges enjoyed by means of social media (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook has attracted candidates’ attention to resort to those means at the expense of traditional media of television, radio and newspapers.

The easy spread and efficiency of those social media were behind their success, however, the financial cost of the use of those means in the announcement of the electoral campaigns of the candidates are relatively equal with traditional media.

The cost of a 140-character tweet in Twitter or an advertisement or a video in Instagram or Twitter is equal to any post in local newspapers or television channels, which range between 300 and 1,000 Kuwaiti dinars.

Companies working in this field become very busy during the elections race, offering special media packages for candidates in the social media means ranging between kd 10,000 to 60,000. For his part, owner of Omedia company Abdulwahab Al-Issa said in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that means of social media are the key player in the arena during elections and have now became more superior than traditional media means. He attributed such excellence due to the speed of those means in achieving the sought objectives through their speed, wide spread and their influence as well as their cost, saying that the cost of those social media means are almost equal with the traditional media outlets.

He added that the social media means have dominated the advertising market in Kuwait, especially through media campaigns of candidates running for the National Assembly elections 2016 so that they can display their electoral programs and visions to the voters. He said that social media has shown “its strength and effectiveness,” where the traditional media can not compete with it, thanks to its ability in enriching the media message thanks to its unique and distinctive services and value.

For his part, Deputy Director of Business Development at ‘Ghalia’ company Sulaiman Al-Ghareeb told KUNA that companies operating in the field of social media were keen to sign agreements with international and specialized companies, in addition to the establishment of partnerships with a number of news services, newspapers and specialized websites to dominate the media arena and advertising markets in the State of Kuwait.

Attention
He said that the attention given for the development of work in the social media means came to compete in the provision of the best media and advertising services in the social media means to serve the electoral campaigns of candidates for the upcoming elections.

He added that the bids submitted by those companies for the candidates differ in their value, means and diversity which range between KD 13,000 and 60,000. He pointed out that social media means are now more influential during the campaigns thanks to their flexibility and easy access to the voters. In other news, fourty nine MPs had succeeded in representing the first constituency in the last 12 Parliamentary rounds from 1981 till 2013. The 1st constituency was considered one of the biggest constituencies in the representation of the governments during the said period.

On the Parliamentary representation of the 1st constituency during that period which grouped the 1st, 4th, 8th, 12th and 13th in the 25 constituencies formation, MP Adnan Syed Abdul Samad, (winner of the February and December Parliaments 2012, which were invalidated by the Constitutional Court, and Parliament of 2013) came first in the representation of the constituency for eight legislative terms. He was followed by MP Abdullah Yousef Al-Roumi, who represented the constituency for seven legislative terms, whereas MPs Hassan Abdullah Johar and Saleh Ahmad Ashour, (winner of the February and December Parliaments 2012, both were invalidated by the Constitutional Court and his membership in the 2013 Parliament) represented the Constituency for six legislative terms, followed by Hussein Ali Al-Qallaf, (winner in the February and December 2012) that was invalidated by the constitutional Court) and Salem Abdullah Al-Hammad and Mikhled Rashid Al- Azmi, represented the constituency in five legislative terms.

Represented
Then came Nasser Abdulaziz Sarkhou, Abdulmohsen Al-Madaj, Ahmed Abdul Mohsen Al-Mulaifi, Salah Khorshid, Abdul Wahid Al- Awadhi, Hussein Al-Huraiti and Dr Yousef Al-Zalzaleh, (winner of December 2012 Parliament that was invalidated by the Constitutional Court) represented the constituency for three legislative terms. After that, Khaled Al-Jumaian, Yaqoub Mohammed Hayati, Dr Ahmad Al-Rubie, Abbas Al-Khudhari, Jamal Al-Kanderi, Ahmad Lari, (member in the invalidated February Parliament), Faisal, Al-Duwaisan (winner of the invalidated February and December 2012 Parliament) and 2013 Parliament, represented the constituency for two legislative terms.

Mps Faisal Al-Qathibi, Bader Al- Mudhaf, Ahmed Al-Tukhaim, Esa Al- Mazidi, Murdhi Al-Uthainah, Khaled Al-Wasmi, Naser Al-Rowdhan, Abdullah Al-Nafifi, Rashed Al-Juwaisri, Ali Al-Baghli, Ismael Al-Shatti, Hmoud Al-Ruqba, Jasem Al-Mudhaf, Abdulmohsen Jamal, Ahmad AL-Shuhomi and Dr Masouma Al-Mubarak (winner in the invalidated December 2012 Parliament, Mohammad Hasan Al- Kanderi (member in the invalidated February 2012 Parliament), Essa Ahmad Al-Kanderi, Mubarak Salem Al- Harees, Abdullah Al-Turaiji, Kamil Al-Awadhi, Mohammad Murwee and Abdelhameed Dashti (member in the 2013 Parliament following invalidation of membership of Al-Mubarak by the Constitutional Court, all represented the constituency for one legislative term.

The Parliamentary life in Kuwait had witnessed an unprecedented move in 2012 when the Parliament of February was invalidated by the Constitutional Court, thus, invalidating membership of Usama Al- Shaheen, Adel Al-Damkhi, Abdullah Al-Turaiji and Abdulhameed Dashti. In December 2012 Parliament, memberships of MPs Kamil Al- Awadhi, Nawaf Al-Fuzai, Khaled Al-Shatti and Abdulhameed Dashti were invalidated by the Constitutional Court.

The first constituency, according to the current division of constituencies, was the highest in terms of ministerial appointments since 1981 till the last government formation standing at 12 out of 31 elected ministers. The Cabinet of 1981, Issa Mohammed Al-Mazeedi held a portfolio of the Ministry of Communications, Khaled Al-Jumaian held the portfolio of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in the government line-up for 1985.

With the return of Parliamentary life in 1992, Dr Ahmed Al-Rubei held portfolio of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education in the government line-up for 1992 while Ali Al-Baghli was appointed Minister of Oil followed by Abdulmohsen Al-Madaj. Jassem Abdullah Al-Mudhaf was appointed Minister of Commerce and Industry in the government formation in 1996, while Hamoud Abdullah Al-Roqba held the portfolio of Ministry of Electricity and Water and the Ministry of Public Works in the government line-up for 1998. In the Cabinet line-up of 2001, Salah Abdulredha Khorshed took over the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, followed by Dr Yousef Al- Zalzaleh in February 2006.

Abdulwahid Al-Awadhi was Minister of State for Housing Affairs in 2007 and then Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs. Hussein Al-Hurairi was Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in 2008 and 2009. In August 2013, Esa Al-Kanderi was appointed Minister of Communications and in 2014 he was appointed along with this Ministry the State Minister for Municipality Affairs.

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