KUWAIT CITY, Sept 14: The number of candidates, who have so far signed the so-called ‘Document of Values’, increased to 47 -- four candidates each in the First Constituency and Second Constituency, two in the Third Constituency, 13 in the Fourth Constituency and 24 in the Fifth Constituency. Law Professor and constitutional expert Muhammad Al- Muqatei wondered about the disqualification of 15 candidates, considering no one among them is the child of a naturalized Kuwaiti.

He explained the Constitution stipulates that the children of naturalized Kuwaitis cannot contest the elections as such right is granted only to naturalborn Kuwaitis. One of the disqualified candidates, former MP Naif Al-Merdas, disclosed he has been accused of repeating the speech of former MP Musallam Al-Barrak; stressing the Court of Cassation has yet to rule on this case.

He then unveiled his plan to submit an appeal to the First Instance Court. Third Constituency candidate and former Assembly Speaker Ahmed Al-Saadoun was born on Nov 12, 1934. He is a Sunni. Degree He holds a bachelor of arts degree and served as Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Communications until 1974. He chaired the Kuwait Football Association from 1968 to 1976. He is a member of Popular Action Movement.

He ran for elections for the first time in 1967, ranking seventh in the Sixth Constituency with 344 votes; second in the Seventh Constituency in 1975 with 641 votes; first in the 11th Constituency in 1981, 1985, 1992, 1996 and 1999 with 707, 820, 1403, 1262 and 1440 votes respectively; second in the same constituency in 2003 with 1200 votes; first again in 2006 with 4970 votes; ninth in the Third Constituency in 2008 with 6105 votes; third in the same constituency with 10,969 votes; and fifth in 2012 with 9,950 votes. He stands for the 2022 elections in the Third Constituency. He was part of Popular Action Bloc in 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2012. In January 2013, he was part of the parliamentary majority.

Voting record

■ Referring the bill on women’s political rights to the Constitutional Court in 2005: approved

■ Bill on reducing the electoral constituencies to 10 in 2006: absent

■ Suspending the then chairman of citizen service agency Sheikh Muhammad Al- Abdullah Al- Mubarak for three months in 2006: approved

■ Waiving off citizens loans in 2006: rejected

■ No confidence motion against the then Minister of Oil Sheikh Ali Al-Jarrah in 2007: approved

■ No confidence motion against the then Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Nouria Al- Sabeeh in 2008: rejected

■ No confidence motion against the then Minister of Interior Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalid in 2009: approved

■ No-cooperation motion with then HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Muhammad in 2009: approved

■ Waiving off citizens loans in 2010: approved

■ No confidence motion against the then Minister of Information Sheikh Ahmed Al- Abdullah in 2010: approved

■ No cooperation motion against the then HH Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Muhammad in January and June 2010: approved

■ Request of the government to withdraw the grilling motion filed by MPs Ahmed Al- Saadoun and Abdulrahman Al-Anjari against the then HH Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al- Muhammad in 2011: rejected - Bill on imposing death penalty on those convicted of offending God: approved. The Public Prosecution did not investigate him on the suspicious increase in the bank deposits of some MPs.

Statement Al-Saadoun was quoted as saying in 2016: “None of those convicted in political cases offended Kuwait. They expressed opinions and some of which could have been adopted but they did so in a heated tone. Nevertheless, they wanted nothing but reforms.” By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff