Voices emerge against Assembly nullification
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KUWAIT CITY, March 22: MP Saoud Buslaib has submitted his resignation to the National Assembly due to the decision of the Constitutional Court to nullify the decree on dissolving the 2020 Assembly and the 2022 parliamentary elections. He stressed that he respects the judiciary in general, as well as the decisions of the Constitutional Court and Amiri decrees; but the will of the people must be respected as well. He said only the citizens are authorised to put a lawmaker in the Assembly or reject him through the ballot.
Meanwhile, MP Osama Al-Shaheen criticized the government’s silence over the decision of the Constitutional Court. He argued the government and judges are in charge of overseeing the parliamentary elections, so it is surprising that the government has opted to remain silent over the alleged thousands of forgery cases in the last election. “If the allegation is true, the government must clarify its position; as its silence contributes to the citizens’ disappointment, frustration and depression,” he concluded.
Revealed On the other hand, MP Obaid Al-Wasmi revealed in a press conference that he had earlier forwarded queries to the Justice and Interior ministers about the elections held on Sept 29, 2022. This is in response to those who asked why he remained silent since the elections until the Constitutional Court issued its ruling. He stressed the need to investigate the election procedures and results, wondering why the voters turnout in most of the polling centers was 50 percent and only three had 100 percent turnout.
He also pointed out the illogical results in some polling centers, in which the total number of votes obtained by all the candidates is higher than the total number of voters. He affirmed his support for calls to hold fresh elections for the citizens to choose their representatives in the legislature; but the Election Law must be amended first. He also stressed the need to establish the Higher Commission for Elections to ensure that the results refl ect the actual will of the people. He added that his parliamentary queries
includes the issue about Kuwait Television announcing the election results in some constituencies even before the official counting of votes ended. He said those calling for the immediate dissolution of the Assembly pushed the nation back to the era of rigged elections. He emphasized the need to investigate the issue in order to identify those who manipulated the results, how they committed such a crime and who benefited from it. He asserted this issue will not be set aside, as he will reveal it inside the country or abroad; indicating the investigation will be done by Kuwaiti or international institutions.
Al-Wasmi then asked MPs Ahmad Al- Saadoun, Khalid Al-Otaibi and Soud Al- Asfour to confirm that the number of votes they obtained are the actual results. He went on to say this is not the first time that the parliamentary election is rigged, citing the 1967 Assembly which he regards as forged. He asserted that whoever calls for the immediate dissolution of the Assembly is either involved in election rigging or they are the beneficiaries of such an unscrupulous act. He warned the investigations will reveal the identity of everyone involved; including the media, sheikhs, senior officials and lawmakers.
He pointed out the country has witnessed the exchange of accusations among members of the ruling family. He said one of them revealed to the public that the other is dealing with Israel in order to push for the collapse of the regime, while the latter accused the former of spreading false information. He asked if anyone was punished or imprisoned after such exchange of accusations. He added one of the children of HH the late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah accused the Amiri Diwan minister of forging official documents against the Amir.
“If His Highness the Amir could be the subject of forgery, it is easier for a candidate to be the victim of such an act. The people of Kuwait must not be an experiment for members of the ruling family or some senior officials,” he stated. He voiced objection to attempts to suspend the Constitution, stressing that every citizen must foil such attempts. He added the Assembly Office decided to extend the work of the parliamentary factfinding committee formed by the nullified legislature in order to finalize investigations into the parliamentary corruption. By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff
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