Optimism and anti-corruption set tone for election dynamics

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KUWAIT CITY, March 7: Thirty-two citizens, including one woman, on Thursday filed their candidacy for the parliamentary election on April 4, 2024. The total number of candidates reached 134 — 130 men and four women — at the end of the fourth day of the 10-day registration period for candidates.

Following are the candidates who registered on Thursday as per constituency:
First Constituency: five men (Ahmad Khalifa Al-Shohoumi, Khalid Marzouq Al- Omaira, Adel Jassim Al-Damkhi, Abdullah Al-Khabbaz and Ali Falah Al-Sabri)
Second Constituency: eight male men (Ahmad Mohammad Al-Ajmi, Jaber Ali Al-Houli, Hamad Humoud Al-Shimmari, Talal Abdulrahman Al-Mehteb, Abdullah Turki Al-Anboui, Falah LafiAl-Mutairi, Mohammad Humoud Al-Harbi and Hazza Faisal Al-Mutairi)
Third Constituency: five men and one woman (Alaa Shakir Faras, Hamad Adel Al-Obaid, Khalifa Khalil Al-Tamimi, Saeed Mohammad Tawfiqi, Mohammad Salem Al- Juwaihil and Mohalhal Khaled Al-Mudhaf
Fourth Constituency: four men (Thamer Saad Al-Dhafeeri, Shuaib Shabab Al- Mowaizri, Abdulrahman Abdulhadi Al-Hajri and Abdullah Salem Al-Shimmari)
Fifth Constituency: nine men (Badi Husayan Al-Dousari, Bader Fadhel Karam, Hassan Mahmoud Ashkanani, Salem Hussein Al- Ajmi, Saud Batel Al-Ajmi, Abdullah Salem Al-Hajri, Abdullah Abbas Al-Tattan, Abdullah Ali Al-Sanad and Fahad Falah Al-Azmi)

The Elections Affairs General Department in Ministry of Interior will continue receiving the applications of candidates until March 13, 2024. Meanwhile, former MP Adel Jassim Al-Damkhi, who filed his candidacy in the First Constituency, stressed that the recent period pushed everyone to be optimistic, owing to the latest measures and the court verdicts punishing those proven to be corrupt. He affirmed that HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah is keen on combating corruption. He said the election will be held during the holy month of Ramadan, which is allocated for worship; indicating that participating in the election is a form of worship and it is one of the duties of mankind. He pointed out that the 2023 Parliament had numerous achievements like unprecedented coordination with the government, agreement on the legislative agenda, and ratification of important bills which contributed to the reduction of real estate prices and pushed for economic reform.

First Constituency candidate Ali Falah Al-Sabri revealed that his electoral program is based on the beliefs of HH the late Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem; particularly the concepts of equality, justice and democracy. He criticized the work program of the government, claiming it is just a copy of the programs adopted by successive governments for 20 years. He then stressed the need for a feasible work program, which should be implemented within a certain period. Second Constituency candidate Falah LafiAl-Mutairi stated that if he wins in the election, he will file a grilling motion against HH the Prime Minister if the latter does not take action to improve the living standards of citizens.

Third Constituency candidate Alaa Shakir Faras said she filed her candidacy even if she has no political experience due to her belief in democracy and freedom of speech, as well as in response to the Amiri speech. “Whenever we look into the causes of any problem, we are informed that it is due to the lack of legislation and this is the MPs’ task. Many MPs spent almost half of their life in the legislature, but the bills they submitted were not ratified,” she stated. She highlighted the housing issue, indicating that Kuwait Municipality hands over land to the Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW); but the latter waits for years before launching a housing project. She said the citizen grows old, receives the plot, is obligated to build his house and relocate to the new house even if the infrastructure and basic services have yet to be completed. She said many countries have achieved advancement through the comprehensive development of education, wondering how the educational issue in the country is addressed if the main pillar — the teacher — has no job security. She added whoever was born after 2010 has not seen any entertainment cities in the country; hence, the need to pay attention to this field.

Former MP and Third Constituency candidate Hamad Adel Al-Obaid stressed that the 2023 Parliament never tolerated any act deemed offensive to HH the Amir, stating that the Amiri entity is secured as per the Constitution. On the election of the next speaker, Al- Obaid disclosed it will be decided according to the election results. He believes the next speaker will be elected after coordinating the positions of MPs. He praised the achievements of the 2023 Parliament, especially since four bills were ratified in its first year. He said the parliamentary committees worked hard during the summer break and seven bills were ratified in the second year.

Former MP and Third Constituency candidate Mohalhal Khaled Al-Mudhaf has warned that the next legislature will question HH the Prime minister if he appoints ministers who are subject of cases which have yet to be settled through a final verdict, grants exceptional salaries to ministers, refuses to improve the standard of living of citizens, allocates the Council of Ministers for the benefit of certain individuals, and disrupts the State Audit Bureau’s auditing of the accounts of Kuwait Army Fund. Activist Saeed Mohammad Tawfiqi posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he filed his candidacy for the Third Constituency, as he decided to pass through the difficult road. He explained it is easy for a candidate to express support for popular issues like increasing salaries and improving services, but this is not the way to establish advanced countries. He stated that Kuwait has 600,000 students in different educational stages and this means 600,000 jobs will be required in almost 10 years; in addition to services like health, housing and others.

He argued the salary increment should not be for everyone, wondering how a citizen with a salary of KD10,000 could ask for an increment. He suggested limiting the basic foodstuff subsidy to low-income families, adding that the local economy solely depends on oil which is not sustainable; hence, the need to find alternative sources of income, rather than withdrawing investment gains, because these are allocated for the future generations. Former MP and Fourth Constituency candidate Shuaib Shabab Al-Mowaizri disclosed some parties do not believe in the Constitution, particularly Article Six, which states: “Kuwait’s system of government is democratic; sovereignty is vested in the Nation as the source of all authority, and the exercise of that sovereignty shall be as set out in this Constitution.” He asserted that “even if the Parliament is dissolved every week, we will never stop participating in the elections. The citizens are the judges.”
By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff

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