Due to the keen vision expressed by the Kuwaiti leadership, the upcoming National Assembly elections on September 29th would be the testing ground for people to choose suitable representatives of the people.
On June 22, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dissolved of parliament based on article 107 of the constitution. The announcement came in an Amiri address conveyed by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on behalf of the Amir.
The decree came into effect last August as a step to correct the political path in the country and to enable the legislative and executive branches seek cooperation for the sake of the country.
Following the Amiri address, the government took several decisions including two decrees of necessities allowing vote via the Civil ID Card as well as adding several districts to the five voting constituencies. The Interior Ministry, on its part, had implemented one of the tenets of the Amiri address, preventing and stopping any attempt to hold any by-elections deemed illegal by the law.
Commenting on the high level of commitment towards the Amiri address, professor of administration and public policies at Kuwait University (KU) Dr. Bader Al-Daihani affirmed the historical address came to solidify the role of the constitution, democracy and national pride.
The Kuwaiti leadership is not eager to interfere with the choice of people in accordance with article 80 of the constitution, Al-Daihani said, adding that the people were the master of their own decisions.
The address had laid a huge responsibility on the government of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, saying that the executive authority must focus on policies aimed at enforcing the law and preventing meddling in the elections
The other branch of authority, the legislative should work with the government on all aspects, namely discussing the elections law as well as lowering voting to include individuals of 18 years of age and allow Kuwaitis abroad to vote
He called for the establishment of an independent commission for elections tasked with putting a ceiling on campaigns spending, preventing bribery or voting based on groups and affiliations
Providing his input, editor-in-chief of Al-Rai Waleed Al-Jassem said that the address reflected the leadership’s closeness to the people after the relations between the legislative and executive powers came to a deadlock. Al-Jassem indicated that the Kuwaiti leadership addressed the problem and took the correct decision in dissolving parliament to allow the people to choose the right individuals to represent them at parliament. On the other hand, the government so far had proved itself as being capable to handle the situation during this critical transitional period, Al-Jassem reiterated.
After the elections, there is strong hope that the 17th legislative term of parliament would come in terms with the current developments in Kuwait, leading to cooperation with executive power, added Al-Jassem. Similar, Dr. Hamad Al-Thunaiyan — professor of political science at KU — stressed that the Amiri address in June had an “unprecedented” and “positive” impact on the political process in the country.
It came with a new vision that led to the formation of a cabinet new ministers and a new determination, he noted.
Now the ball is in the court of the voters, they have the responsibility of choosing the right people for the National Assembly, Dr. Al-Thunaiyan said.
He indicated that the executive authority also must provide a clear plan for developments in the upcoming two decades, and the parliament has to cooperate to bring welfare and stability to the people of Kuwait
-Source-KUNA