The Constitutional Court on Monday adjourned looking into an appeal, regarding its ruling on Article 16 of the National Assembly’s by-law being “unconstitutional”, to January 27. The verdict stripped MPs of membership, as enclosed in Law 12/1963, along with projected repercussions.
The appeal was tendered by MP Dr. Waleed Al-Tabtabaei on January 1, 2019. On December 19, the National Assembly had rebuffed withdrawing the membership from the MPs, Dr. Walid Al-Tabtabaei and Dr. Jumaan Al-Harbash, in separate voting on each one’s membership.
In the voting on withdrawing the memberships, up to 31 members of the parliament voted in favor, 29 opposed, along with two absentees, in the session, attended by a total of 62 members. In the voting on stripping Al-Harbash of his membership, 31 members voted in favor, 21 opposed, with two absentees.
The Court of Cassation had ruled in favor of amending the appeal verdict, issued on November 27, 2017, in the “National Assembly case,” sentencing 13 defendants to three years and six months behind bars — among them MPs Al-Harbash and Al-Tabtabaei.
It had also ordered imprisonment of two defendants, abstained from applying a penalty against 34 defendants and acquitted the others.
Source: KUNA