CABINET HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 22: The Cabinet has set Sept 29, 2022 as the date of the National Assembly elections during its meeting on Monday. Consequently, the Ministry of Interior affirmed that every Kuwaiti citizen is automatically added to the roster of voters upon reaching 21 years old. Voters must present their national certificates and civil identifi- cation cards on Election Day. Those who lost their nationality certificates can obtain temporary certificates from the Passports and Citizenship Affairs General Department, the ministry added. All eligible voters could verify their voting registration at their local police stations corresponding to their residential address in the civil ID cards, Colonel Dr. Ahmad Al-Hajri, Head of the Elections Affairs Committee affirmed.

The official said that voters have the right to contest the inclusion of their names in the voting list of certain constituencies and they could also change their constituencies via submitting a request to the elections affairs department. Those excluded from the voters’ list could also contest the procedure legally, Al-Hajri added.The official indicated that during Election Day, voters need to bring along their citizenship and civil ID cards to complete their voting process. Also, several former MPs have unveiled their plan to stand for the upcoming elections such as Khalil Al-Saleh for the Second Constituency, Abdulkareem Al-Kandari and Mehalhal Al-Mudaf for the Third Constituency, Obaid Al-Wasmi and Ahmed Mutei Al-Azmi for the Fourth Constituency, and Al-SaifiMubarak Al- Saififor the Fifth Constituency.

Support
Meanwhile, a large number of former MPs, lawyers and ordinary citizens gathered in the diwaniya of former MP Bader Al-Dahoum; expressing support for the latter in fighting for his right to contest the elections. During the meeting, Attorney Ali Al- Saberi pointed out that the Constitutional Court ignored verdicts in favor of Al- Dahoum issued by the Court of Cassation in 2020; particularly the decision to allow him to stand for elections. He argued the law prohibiting those convicted of offending the Amiri entity is not applied retroactively and it does not stipulate eternal punishment, because such steps violate the citizens’ right to vote and stand for elections. He said these rights are guaranteed by the Constitution.

Former MP Muhammad Al-Hadiya said it is sad that the new government continues toeing the path towards injustice despite being fully aware that Al- Dahoum was a victim of injustice. He is hoping that the government will look into the issue and stop injustice. Former MP Muhammad Al-Mutair urged the government to follow the directives included in the recent Amiri speech, particularly the need to stop anyone from interfering in the elections. Law Professor at Kuwait University Ibrahim Al-Homoud advised Al-Dahoum to submit a petition to the Constitutional Court to review the law, which was used as basis for the decision to prohibit him from contesting the elections. He stressed the need for the Constitutional Court to determine if this law is in line with the Constitution, if it could be implemented retroactively and if the punishment is eternal.

Development
Kuwait’s cabinet on Monday emphasized the importance of a number of planned development projects that should come to fruition shortly, saying these initiatives need to proceed without any glitches. Chief among these initiatives are major residential projects currently in the works, which aim to meet the housing needs of Kuwaiti nationals, the cabinet underlined in its weekly meeting. The meeting, chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al- Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, tasked the Public Authority for Housing Welfare with overseeing the completion of the projects.

Amid the talks, the cabinet referred a draft law on an agreement allowing the transit passage of armed forces between Kuwait and the Republic of Kosovo to His Highness the Amir, pending its passage through parliament, as per the suggestion by a legal affairs committee headed by Justice Minister Jamal Al-Jalawi. The cabinet went on to approve a slew of bilateral deals, including a joint committee for cooperation between Kuwait and Sierra Leone, in addition to an aviation services deal with the Dominican Republic and a memorandum of understating (MoU) with Saudi Arabia over the promotion of direct investment and a separate one on educational cooperation and scientific research. Other deals approved by the cabinet also include an agreement between Kuwait and Cyprus on the prevention of theft, clandestine excavation and illicit import and export of cultural property, in addition to an environmental cooperation deal with Turkiye. By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff and Agencies