The Cabinet held a special meeting on Saturday to implement HH the Amir’s instructions and prepare draft laws that include partial amendment to the electoral system. HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah addressed the nation on Friday and said that the amendment of Law No. 42/2006 was necessary, despite the opposition of political activists, "to protect national unity, bolster the democratic practice and achieve equality among all Kuwaitis".
Following the meeting, Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah said that, in accordance with HH the Amir directions in his public address, the Cabinet has adopted three draft laws. The first draft law is an amendment of article two of the Elections Law and will allow nationals to vote for a single candidate in their respective constituencies, "in order to protect national unity, enhance democratic practice and achieve equal opportunities and fair representation of the society" in parliament.
The second draft law pertains to the formation of a public anti-corruption authority that can gather the financial disclosures of state officials, who have either been appointed or elected into office. It will be tasked with revealing the financial data of the prime minister, his deputies, ministers, officials, members of the National Assembly and all state employees.
The third draft law establishes an official national committee in charge of organizing elections and election campaigns to ensure the integrity of the process. The Cabinet further appointed a team to prepare the last two draft laws for approval in the Cabinet’s next session, the minister added.
Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah said the decisions are based on "Article 71 of the Constitution, which authorizes HH the Amir the right to issue draft laws while the National Assembly is dissolved, in order to ensure the safety, security and stability of country and to enhance national unity."
A large number of Islamist, tribal as well as liberal political activists and former lawmakers announced they will boycott the upcoming elections. The opposition Majority Bloc called for mass rallies and marches in objection to the decrees. Protest marches will be held on Sunday from "three points" towards the Cabinet, stated ex-MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei on Twitter.
Furthermore, Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh reportedly submitted his official resignation in objection to the emergency decree that amends the electoral system and did not attend Saturday’s Cabinet meeting. Moreover, Liberal former MPs Aseel Al-Awadhi, Marzooq Al-Ghanim as well as liberal former parliament speaker Mohammed Al-Saqr joined the list of those that will boycott the elections.
The bloc and affiliated umbrella groups issued a statement warning the authority of pushing towards autocracy and a police state and holding it entirely responsible for the current political climate. The opposition called on the authority not to "interfere in the judiciary system in attempt to use it against the people" and called for "the release of political prisoners".
The opposition further called for a full boycott of parliament elections and all political and social occasions organized by the authority. It warned the "Interior Minister of attacks on citizens participating in a peaceful procession on Sunday and subsequent days". The statement also warned protestors "not to cause friction with security forces and stay away from public facilities and private property and maintain a peaceful march".
A small number of former ‘ 2009′ Assembly’ lawmakers, however, have announced they will contest the parliament elections – Shiite former lawmakers Yousef Al-Zalzalah, Faisal Al-Duwaisan and Adnan Al-Mutawa as well as Islamist former MP Khalaf Dumaitheer
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah held a meeting with top security officials and instructed them to firmly address any practices outside the law.
The Ministry of Interior (MoI) issued a statement and warned that it will not allow any form of protests, rallies, marches, or overnight sit-ins that are outside of Al-Erada Square for any reason. The Square, it added, is designated for citizens to exercise peaceful free expression. The ministry stressed that it will not hesitate to prevent practices that are contrary to the law and affect the country’s security and its citizens.
"Disorder, violence and the incitement to infringe on public and private property, higher interests and the country’s security will be addressed firmly and decisively", the statement added. The Interior Ministry urged all citizens to adhere to the law and follow the procedures and guidelines of security officers and all law enforcement authorities.
Arrest warrants are continuing against ex-MPs who’ve participated in recent rallies in Al-Erada Square and diwaniyas. Warrants were issued against former MPs Jamaan Al-Harbash and Abdullah Al-Barghash, according to former lawmaker Mohammed Al-Dallal. Previously arrested protestors remain in detention pending further investigation on Sunday.
MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei announced that he and activists will continue to hold sit-ins in solidarity with the detained.
Agencies add:
"The Cabinet has expressed its great appreciation of the directions of HH the Amir, valuing what he had suggested in his historic address on his pain and anxiety over what is being witnessed in the country of developments that could undermine its safety and stability, which reflect HH’s commitment to addressing the concerns and fears of the people."
The Cabinet went on to thoroughly discuss the main points in HH the Amir’s Friday address to the nation.
It identified the main messages in HH the Amir’s speech across seven points.
Firstly, that Kuwait is a democratic country, ruled by constitution and law and has an independent judiciary. Kuwait’s Constitution states that "the legislative power is vested in the Amir and the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution, the executive power is vested in the Amir, the Cabinet, and the Ministers, in the manner specified by the Constitution and the judicial power is vested in the Courts, which exercise it in the name of the Amir within the limits of the Constitution".
Secondly, that HH the Amir’s abidance by democracy is as stated in the Kuwait constitution, with the need to learn from the mistakes, readjust march, overcome failures and make use of experiments and choose whatever suitable to their circumstances, potential and ambitions.
Thirdly, the abidance with national constants by which Kuwaitis are well known; namely sincere loyalty to Kuwait, tolerance, moderation, high ethics, thoughtfulness and the respect of others.
Fourthly, that public action should be directed only to achieve the national interests and this great responsibility requires patience, wisdom and hard work.
Fifth, the non-acceptance of any act that threatens to jeopardize the state’s security, stability, national constants or the safety of its people.
Sixth, that all Kuwaitis have to prioritize the state’s interest ahead of any other private interests to keep it an island of security, stability and state of law and institutions that is able to bear current burdens and face future challenges.
Seventh, that HH the Amir will not allow any threats to Kuwait’s security or intimidation to its people, nor any act meant to derail the state’s development or plant the seeds of sedition. HH the Amir will not allow the use of illusions and lies to lead the Kuwaiti youth astray, said the statement.
Opposition
"I call on every Kuwaiti to tear the December 1 paper from the calendar and throw it in the dustbin. It is a black day in Kuwait’s political history," opposition leader and former MP Mussallam al-Barrak wrote on Twitter.
The opposition has called for a massive demonstration on Sunday in protest at the decision to change the electoral constituency law, charging it is a bid by the government to influence the results and elect a rubber-stamp assembly.
The electoral constituency law, issued in 2006 after opposition-led protests, divides the country into five electoral districts, each electing 10 MPs to the 50-member parliament.
Under that legislation, each eligible voter was allowed to elect a maximum of four candidates. The government’s amendment reduces this number to one, the cabinet statement said.
The two draft decrees will be effective when the Amir issues them, probably in the next few days.
In a new statement after an emergency meeting, the opposition accused the "regime" of staging a new coup against the constitution and of working towards establishing "oppressive autocratic rule."
Signed by several opposition groups, it accused the regime of creating crises, encouraging the theft of public funds, fuelling sectarian and tribal divisions and blocking development.
The opposition called on the Kuwaiti people to demonstrate against the decision which in effect "aims at turning Kuwait into a police state."
Chiefs of bedouin tribes including the head of the largest tribe Awazem, Falah bin Jame, said they will call on their tribes to join a boycott. Tribes make up more than half of Kuwait’s native population of 1.2 million.
Kuwait, which pumps around 3.0 million barrels of oil per day, has been rocked by almost non-stop political crises since 2006, with the cabinet resigning nine times and parliament being dissolved on six occasions.
Opposition groups have staged increasingly bold rallies to demand new elections after parliament was disbanded earlier this month following months of political tensions.
Last week, nearly 8,000 protesters gathered in Kuwait City in a show of force that included clashes with riot police.
