KUWAIT CITY, April 6: Kuwait Cabinet expressed Saturday gratitude for all efforts made by all of the bodies that participated in organizing the 2024 parliamentary election. This came during an extraordinary meeting held at Bayan Palace and presided over by His Highness Prime Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. The Cabinet was briefed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Acting Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, on the electoral process and the announcement of the election’s final results.

In this regard, the Cabinet praised the citizens’ national commitment they demonstrated in this democratic event. The Cabinet went on congratulating all of the newly elected MPs, wishing them all success and further progress. On the other hand, the Cabinet approved a bill calling upon the National Assembly to hold the first regular session of the 18th Legislative term on April 17 (Wednesday). According to Article 57 of Kuwait’s Constitution, His Highness the Prime Minister has submitted the government resignation to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah. For his part, His Highness the Prime Minister expressed appreciation for His Highness the Amir’s confidence, lauding the efforts made by all of the ministers. Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, said that the government pledged to Allah Almighty to work for everything that is in the country’s best interest, which came within the framework of the constitution to embody the law to everyone without exception.

Results

On Friday, the Secretariat General of the National Assembly received the ballot boxes after the announcement of the official results of the 2024 parliamentary election. In a press statement, Chairman of the committee tasked to receive the ballot boxes Omar Al-Ajeel confirmed receiving the ballot boxes from the judicial panel in charge of overseeing the election as per Articles 27, 28 and 31 of Election Decree No. 4/2024. He explained the delivery process is documented by recording the number of each ballot box, the concerned polling station, name of the judge in charge and name of the authorized employee who received the boxes. He affirmed that the committee double checked the ballot boxes to be sure they are sealed well and intact. He said the number of ballot boxes totaled 759 and they will be stored in the place allocated for this purpose in the Assembly building until the settlement of all appeals against the election results, after which the ballot boxes will be handed over to the Ministry of Interior.

Meanwhile, MP-elect Fahd Falah Bin Jame’e has announced his plan to run for the parliamentary speaker election; while MPselect Hamdan Al-Azmi and Nawaf Behaish Al-Azmi disclosed they will vote for Bin Jame’e. Behaish clarified that he will vote for MP-elect Ahmed Al- Saadoun only if Bin Jame’e does not vie for the speakership. MP-elect Bader Al-Dahoum said the newly elected MPs have reached an agreement to hold the coordinative meeting at 2:00 pm on Monday in the Assembly building. MP-elect Fayez Al-Jomhour has two conditions for cooperating with the incoming government; if it vows to improve the standard of living of citizens and if it excludes Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and acting Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah; otherwise, he will file a grilling motion against the minister.

He also addressed HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, indicating the latter has exhausted about 90 percent of the citizens’ trust due to the poor performance of the government. He revealed he will grill whoever is appointed as the next prime minister if Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah remains in the government. He strongly criticized the Ministry of Interior’s call for citizens to report forged citizenship cases, asserting this move could undermine national unity and lead to social problems. He argued the ministry has access to such information, not the ordinary citizens. He warned that the ministry’s request is dangerous as it could cause problems among citizens, since a citizen might make this report due to personal disputes and the wrongly accused citizen will suffer for months until proven that he deserves the nationality.

MP-elect Mohammad Hayef Al-Mutairi has organized a reception for citizens who congratulated him on his electoral victory; during which he revealed his plan to submit a bill on allowing judges to rule on citizenship cases during the first session of the Assembly. He stressed that he is keen on fulfilling his promise to investigate the citizenship withdrawal cases, as well as the dismissal of 68 officers from Kuwait Army and non-appointment of qualified public prosecutor applicants for holding Kuwaiti nationality as per Article Two of the Nationality Law. He added that he already printed the request for the Assembly to form two fact-finding committees to investigate these issues. In related news, Arab Parliament Speaker Adel Al-Asoumi, on Friday, congratulated the Kuwaiti political leadership on the success of the National Assembly elections.

In remarks to KUNA, Al-Asoumi lauded His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s patronage and support of the Kuwaiti democratic process.
He also praised the democratic process of the Kuwaiti parliamentary elections, stressing that it is a pioneering and distinguished experience of the State of Kuwait. Al-Asoumi wished all of the newly elected MPs success and further progress. Elsewhere, the Egyptian daily press dedicated wide spaces in the editions published on Saturday to the 2024 parliamentary elections of Kuwait and the democratic atmosphere that marked the polling.

The mass circulation “Al-Ahram” specialized wide spaces for the Kuwaiti elections and congratulated His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the polls’ success and felicitated the winners of the 50 seats. It wrote that change in the new line-up is different by 22 percent as compared to that of the previous assembly, where eight nominees had been elected as members of the parliament, three who were former MPs came back to Abdullah Al-Salem Hall, also noting that the voting reached 62.1 percent, according to the Ministry of Information. “Al-Gomhuria” indicated that the change in the new assembly reached 20 percent. Ten figures who were members of the 2023 assembly joined the 2024 parliament. It also wrote that seven ones were elected as members in the new parliament and three former MPs rejoined the assembly. The former MP Jenan Boushehri was the sole Kuwaiti woman to bag a seat in the new assembly. “Al-Masri Al-Yom” newspaper also concurred that the change was estimated at 20 percent, noting that the voting had lasted for 12 hours covering five constituencies. The polling was conducted on a single vote basis

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff and Agencies