Student leaders urge Prime Minister to halt Kuwait University elections

• Representatives from student federations and lists both within and outside had submitted several complaints about serious irregularities, including manipulation of election results and lack of expense control, to both the Minister of Higher Education and Kuwait University.

Representatives from student federations and lists both within and outside Kuwait have called on His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister, to intervene and suspend student elections at Kuwait University and National Union of Kuwaiti Students Abroad branches. They request that student activities be organized under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education and relevant higher education institutions, according to Al Jarida newspaper.

They stated in an official letter to His Highness that they suffered due to the lack of legal status and the absence of an official body to oversee the elections and monitor their expenses.

They noted that they had submitted several complaints about serious irregularities, including manipulation of election results and lack of expense control, to both the Minister of Higher Education and Kuwait University.

Additionally, they approached the National Union of Kuwaiti Students, which is not officially registered under Kuwaiti laws, but not all complaints were addressed due to the Union’s illegal status.

They highlighted that the main issues include abuses committed by the executive body responsible for organizing the elections of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students branches. The current executive body concluded its term without properly calling a General Conference to elect a new executive body according to union regulations.

They added that the expired executive body manipulated the results of student elections in all branches of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students at Kuwait University and abroad. This led the unions to decide to move away from the supervision of the executive body and seek legal status under the Ministry of Higher Education.

They stated that the student unions submitted several requests to be supervised by official state authorities at Kuwait University for the Kuwait University Students’ Union and by the Ministry of Higher Education for student unions abroad. However, these requests were not addressed, and the Ministry of Higher Education denied responsibility for organizing student activities, supervising student unions, and monitoring their expenses.

Student presenter on behalf of student unions and lists:

Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi, President of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students – University Branch (2019-2021) and Representative of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students Conference, Kuwait University Branch.

Applicants:

• Abdulaziz Meshaal Al-Ataibi, President of the Kuwait University Students’ Union
• Fahad Al-Ajmi, Representative of the UK Students’ Union
• Fahad Al-Taibi, President of the United States Students’ Union
• Salem Al-Turki, Member of the Student Union Conference delegation – United States of America branch
• Faleh Al-Bass, Member of the Student Union Conference Delegation – United Kingdom branch
• Hamid Al-Ballam, Member of the Student Union Conference Delegation – Arab Republic of Egypt branch
• Fawaz Al-Dhafiri, Independent list – Turkish Kuwait University
• Rashid Al-Mudhaka, List of the Student Union –America
• Jacob Madi, List of the flyer – Britain
• Mohammed Al-Shati, Independent list – Britain
• Youssef Al-Muwail, Will list – Britain
• Mutlah Al-Mutairi, Student gathering list – Egypt