In a strong-worded joint statement, almost all the opposition groups charged that Kuwait has entered “a new phase of autocratic rule which does not believe in democracy, popular participation and the state of institutions” after the Cabinet approved a number of draft laws to be issued by HH the Amir through emergency decrees.
The draft decrees approved by the Cabinet in a meeting chaired by the Amir include a decree to privatize state-owned Kuwait Airways Corp, another for anti-corruption laws and a third for establishing an independent election commission, in addition to the state budget.
“The Cabinet has agreed to issue a series of draft decrees in breach of article 71 of the constitution without any care for the opinion of the people.
This comes as a prelude to amend the electoral constituency law in a way to rest full control over the results of the forthcoming elections,” the statement said.
Article 71 of the constitution gives the Amir the authority to issue decrees that are as powerful as laws only in emergency cases in the absence of the Assembly and these must be sent to the Assembly when it meets again.
The statement said the plan resembles the forgery of election in 1967 and the suspension of the National Assembly twice – in 1976 for five years and in 1986 for more than six years.
The opposition charged that this aims at “strengthening the pillars of autocratic rule in alliance with people of illegitimate interests and the forces of corruption”.
The statement said that the measures adopted by the Cabinet are an indication that “there is a plot to change the election system even after the constitutional court found the law in line with the constitution”.
The opposition warned that the current direction of the “political authority which is under the influence of the forces of corruption is a cause of a serious danger on the country’s political stability and the historical relationship between the Kuwaiti people and the Al-Sabah ruling family”.
“This imposes on us to confront with all available powers to ward off that danger, deter those plots and defend the gains of the people with all available means, politically and on the field, and have pledged unitedly on this,” the statement said.
The opposition groups also called on the Kuwaiti people to confront the plots and resist plans to stage a coup against the constitutional rule by the authority and the forces of corruption to strengthen the absolute autocratic rule.
