The Amir issued several so-called emergency decrees after dissolving the previous Assembly and until the new Assembly was elected. Under the Kuwaiti constitution, the Amir has the right to issue such decrees in case of emergency or necessity when the Assembly is dissolved or is in recess.
But the new Assembly has the right to either approve the decrees or reject them but it cannot introduce any amendments to them.
MPs overwhelmingly approved three key decrees yesterday – the so-called single-vote decree, the national unity and anti-hatred decree and the anti-corruption and wealth disclosure decree.
The single-vote decree was passed by 49 votes, opposed by two lawmakers, while three MPs abstained. MPs Saleh Ashour and Khaled Al-Adwah were the ones who rejected the decree.
The decree issued by the Amir in October amended the electoral constituency law by reducing the number of candidates a voter can choose to just one from four in the previous law.
The opposition boycotted the election in protest against the amendment which the opposition says it gives the government the power to alter the results of the election.
As a result, almost all the 50 MPs elected in the Dec 1 polls are pro-government and were expected to approve the Amiri decrees by a big margin.
A number of MPs said that the previous electoral law encouraged sectarianism, factionalism and tribalism and many other social and political ills that forced the Amir to intervene to rectify the situation and issue the amendment to the law.
The Assembly also passed the key national unity and anti-hatred decree which stipulates long prison terms for those who undermine national unity or make discriminatory remarks against a group of people, sect, tribe, etc. Several MPs said the decree needs a number of important amendments and vowed they will submit the amendments soon.
The anti-corruption and wealth disclosure decree also calls for setting up a national anti-corruption authority to fight corruption. It also requires ministers, MPs, senior bureaucrats to submit a disclosure of their wealth before and after taking their posts in order to effectively track their wealth.
The Assembly also rejected a request by the public prosecution to lift the immunity of MP Nawaf Al-Fuzai to be interrogated over accusations that he insulted the Amir.
During the debate, Shiite MP Abdulhameed Dashti and Salafist Islamist MP Ali Al-Omair exchanged strong words but later apologized to each other.
Meanwhile, police yesterday freed 19 opposition activists after detaining them for two days after they were arrested during a demonstration on Sunday. Police had arrested more than 70 protesters but released most them the same night except the 19 activists.
The opposition strongly condemned the police’s heavy handed approach against the demonstrators while former speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun held the prime minister responsible for the police atrocities.
