PULL EXPAT RESIDENCE AT 55, URGES MP HOPEFUL – Interior welcomes opposition to poll

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KUWAIT CITY, Oct 26: Thirty-six parliamentary election candidates, including one woman, registered on Wednesday increasing the total number of candidates to 357. Following are the candidates who registered on the eighth day of the registration period per constituency:

■ First Constituency (four candidates) — Ibrahim Yousif Al-Kandari, Hussein Ali Al-Bahrani, Essa Abdullah Al-Esdad and Yousif Abdul-Reda Al-Baloushi

■ Second Constituency (seven candidates) — Ahmed Hajji Lari, Khalid Ozaib Al-Dufairi, Suhail Mohammed Al-Banaie, Abdul-Rahman Fahad Al-Anjari, Adnan Mohammed Al-Qabandi, Alya Mahdi Maqdis and Auda Auda Al-Ruwaie

■ Third Constituency (two candidates) — Khalid Ahmed Dahrab and Ali Abdul-Saheb Shamsah

■ Fourth Constituency (seven candidates) — Ahmed Hassan Abdullah, Bader Thani Al-Jassar, Hussein Mezyad Al-Daihani, Hamad Salman Al-Shimiri, Khalaf Faraj Al-Arbeed, Rabei Tuweim Al-Baghli and Mutlaq Owaid Al-Anazi

■ Fifth Constituency (16 candidates) — Bader Jassem Al-Atiyah, Hassan Muhsen Al-Otaibi, Hamoud Abdullah Al-Khudair, Saeed Mohsen Al-Mirri, Talal Mubarak Al-Mutairi, Ayed Naif Al-Otaibi, Abdullah Omar Al-Otaibi, Abdul-Hadi Abass Ahmadi, Fahad Ayed Al-Azmi, Mohammed Salem Al-Dowsari, Mohammed Mutlaq Al-Sawagh, Mutlaq Humaidi Al-Otaibi, Mutlaq Ghazai Al-Otaibi, Nasser Saad Al-Dowsari, Anwar Maqboul Al-Otaibi and Yousif Hussein Al-Mazeedi

Meanwhile, Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Khaled welcomed back the opposition, urging them to participate in the elections. He made the statement when he visited the Election Affairs Department on Wednesday, during which he thanked the officials and workers asserting, “We are very happy as many candidates have registered so far.” He also thanked the media for covering the registration of candidates.

In response to a question on the candidates’ warnings about the regional security situation, the minister pointed out, “We see around us the regional and global atmosphere. Things are boiling, but at the same time, our internal unity and front are strong enough for us to be able to deal with anyone who wants to wreak havoc.” He called for strengthening national unity and for the people to stand behind their leader, affirming the ministry is always ready to serve the nation and its people. He revealed that during his meeting with ministry officials on Tuesday, he encouraged them to present a comprehensive security plan for the elections. Asked about the primary elections organized by tribes, the minister clarified, “We do not ratify laws, because our job is to enforce laws. A committee headed by Consultant Sultan Majed Abujarwa is in charge of checking the names of candidates.” On the other hand, Foreign Affairs Ministry Undersecretary Khaled Al- Jarallah has stressed the need for the next National Assembly to adopt the GCC security agreement, especially since difficult security implications and circumstances led to dissolution of the previous Parliament. He asserted the agreement is an important aspect of Gulf security cooperation, particularly in facing dangers surrounding the region.

Furthermore, former MP Hussein Al-Qalaf said the country is experiencing the worst historical stage considering the serious security conditions in the region and this has prompted him to contest the elections. He warned the nuclear warheads are now in the region to prepare for a major war at a time there is no Parliament with a sense of accountability and a government with the ability to keep pace with such developments.

Fifth Constituency candidate former MP Abdullah Al-Tamimi promised to protect citizens and their interests if he wins a parliamentary seat, indicating he will focus on ‘expelling’ expatriates who have been in the country for a long time. He expressed optimism over the result of the upcoming elections, indicating this will boost the new Parliament and encourage the incoming MPs to work harder.

He hopes the next government will match the structure of the new legislature. He believes the next legislature will be busy dealing with crucial issues like the economic package which includes protecting Kuwaitis from the government’s austerity plans and greedy traders.

He added that his priorities, if he wins in the elections, will be to address the problems of Kuwaiti women particularly housing and social care issues, in addition to providing jobs in government institutions to the children of Kuwaiti women married to non- Kuwaitis instead of hiring expatriates.

He will also work on the demographic structure of the country, stressing the previous Parliament presented two bills in this regarded but one was rejected by the Legislative Committee “because they refused to specify the period of stay for expatriates engaged in menial jobs as one way of reducing the expatriate population.” He suggested cancelling the residency of expatriates once they turn 55 years old except those with rare fields of specialization such as judges and doctors. He argued that many Kuwaitis have specialized in other professions so it is no longer necessary to hire expatriates for such jobs. He added the next government should understand this development in order to provide job opportunities for Kuwaitis and the children of Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis

By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times Staff

This news has been read 7013 times!

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