The race to the National Assembly officially begins today, with nominations open for a period of 10 days, after the issuance of a decree inviting voters to elect parliament members next September 29.
Informed sources told a local Arabic daily that the polling day, which falls on Thursday, will be an official holiday, indicating that the Council of Ministers will discuss the issue in its session today.
The Elections Department at the Ministry of Interior has put the final touches to receive those wishing to run for candidacy, while the ministry reminded the five conditions, which are that the candidate must be a original Kuwaiti national, that his name be included in one of the electoral lists, his age on election day is not less than thirty Gregorian years, that he is fluent in reading and writing the Arabic language, and he has not been previously convicted of a felony or a crime against honor or honesty, unless he has been rehabilitated. Anyone who has been convicted by a final judgment of the crime of insulting the Divine being, the prophets or the Amiri entity shall be deprived of contesting polls.
The Director of the Elections Affairs Department, Colonel Haqqi Dr. Ahmed Al-Hajri, indicated that “there is a committee that will be formed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Acting Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled, headed by one of the men from the judiciary with members from the Fatwa and Legislation Department and various sectors of the Ministry of Interior, whose mission is to comply with the conditions by the candidates and its compatibility, to issue a decision permitting candidacy or expunging from the list of candidates,” noting that “the candidate for candidacy is then entitled to resort to the judiciary, and in the event that a final ruling is issued to return him, the Department of Elections will implement the ruling.”
With the issuance of the invitation decree, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Issa Al-Kandari announced that he has submitted his resignation from the government to run in the elections, while a number of former MPs announced their intention to run as well.
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