KUWAIT CITY, July 30: The Tuesday Parliament session scheduled to swear in the new Cabinet may adjourn early due to lack of quorum as more lawmakers announced Monday they will not attend the session.

MP Yousef Al-Zalzalah predicted “that the quorum will not complete this Assembly or the next Assembly and that Speaker of Parliament Jassem Al-Kharafi will inform HH the Amir of the majority lawmakers’ unwillingness to attend any sessions.

For his part, Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammed Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak assured Tuesday’s session will “proceed well and that the government sooner or later will look into the issue of constituency distribution constitutionally.”

Al-Zalzalah as well as MPs Ali Al-Omair and Adnan Abdulsamad announced they will not be attending Tuesday’s session. Al-Omair said he is sure that “the Cabinet’s inability to take oath in Parliament will not affect the constitutional procedures to dissolve the 2009 Assembly.”

He expressed his hope that the government continues to undertake the correct constitutional procedures without succumbing to any pressure.

MP Adnan Abdulsamad further commented that the issue pertains to ideologies and political convictions, noting that there are a “number of MPs who said they are prepared to attend the session on the condition that the 2009 Assembly is not dissolved.”

He stressed that the 2009 Assembly “is constitutional and legal and whoever says otherwise is contradicting and challenging the Constitution.”

Meanwhile, reliable sources confirmed that the efforts of the parliamentary majority bloc to convince the authority through the Prime Minister not to amend the electoral system and not to resort to the Constitutional Court on this issue did not go well and that this message has been rejected.

The sources indicated the response received by the bloc is that they are accused of seeking to bring instability to the country by abusing the Constitution and violating the regulations. This is totally unacceptable.

It has also been said if the bloc members want sound practices, they should not twist and bend the Constitution to their liking and forget about essential issues imposed by the Constitutional Court ruling which annulled the decree of dissolution of the 2009 Parliament.

The sources emphasized that what the majority bloc is demanding is unacceptable and cannot be granted because that will amount to lawlessness “and moreover this is neither in their interest nor in the interest of anyone.” The sources noted the bloc members have complete freedom to express their opinion but anyone who acts outside the law will be held accountable.

Meanwhile, member of the dissolved 2012 Parliament Riyadh Al-Adsani argued that the effort to amend the current electoral constituencies is aimed at changing the parliamentary structure and not for ensuring justice and equality as being advocated by other parties.

On his Twitter account, Al-Adsani reviewed percentages and numbers with regard to the constituencies. He said the number of voters in Al-Qibla was 762 and in Ahmadi 2,270 which means a difference of about 300 percent and both constituencies sent five MPs to the Parliament.

He added the 25 constituencies system was applied between 1981 and 2006 and the number of voters in Al-Qibla was 5,154 and in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh it was 22,025 which mean a difference of 430 percent.
He said in the current five constituencies system, the number of voters in the Second Constituency is 47,800 and in the Fifth Constituency it is 120,300 and the difference is 152 percent.

He stressed if there is an intention for any amendment, “then the basic principle is that the elections should be held according to the current system and then a draft proposal be presented in the Parliament.”
For his part, former MP Mohammad Al-Kandari said many people are wondering about the political situation in the country, “and we are observing the events and wishing that the country should not be dragged in constant constitutional debate.

He added on his Twitter account that if there is any need to amend the constituencies then it must be done through the next National Assembly and through constitutional channels.

He stressed the people are the source of powers “and this must be translated into the political reality by respecting their will and beliefs and enabling them to make their own decision.”

He emphasized the attempt to override the will of the people and their powers will undoubtedly lead to a real crisis of which the political cost will be very high.