SUBSCRIPTION SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013 SHAABAN 6, 1434 AH No: 15840 MoI won’t tolerate any protests against ruling Max 45º 150 Fils Ministry calls for public order after decision Min 31º KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior warned yesterday four, brought Kuwait in line with other countries. that it would not allow any unlicensed protest But opposition politicians said the decree was an marches over a court ruling next week which will attempt to stop them from forming a majority or say whether a new electoral system introduced by bloc in parliament. Political parties are banned in the HH the Amir is constitutional. Sheikh Sabah Al- Kuwait and the four-vote system helped opposi- Ahmad Al-Sabah used emergency powers in tion MPs form alliances in elections and gave them October last year to change voting rules, six weeks more clout in parliament. Activists have called for before the state was due to hold parliamentary protests if the court rules in favour of the changes. elections. Opposition politicians boycotted the poll, If the court rules in favour of the decree “it and on the eve of the election tens of thousands of would allow the government to amend the elec- Kuwaitis marched in protest against the decree. toral law at any time”, said Ahmed Al-Saadoun, a The case is also sensitive because it questions veteran opposition politician and former parlia- the Amir, who is described as “immune and invio- ment speaker. He said the opposition would boy- lable” in the constitution. “Whatever the decision cott any elections under the one-vote-per-person of the constitutional court, we will never allow any system. Kuwait has not experienced the kind of rallies or marches outside Erada Square,” a state- mass unrest seen elsewhere in the Arab region ment from the Interior Ministry said, referring to a since 2011 and tolerates more political dissent designated protest area opposite parliament. Any than other Gulf Arab countries. However, the protesters who break the law will be dealt with regional upheaval has emboldened a vocal politi- “firmly”, the statement on state news agency cal opposition and sharpened criticism of the KUNA said. authorities. Dozens of activists have been The government said the new system, which charged with insulting the Amir since late last TEHRAN: Iranian women display their ink-stained fingers as they cast their votes in the first cut the number of votes per person to one from year. — Agencies round of the presidential election at a polling station yesterday. — AFP (See Pages 7 & 8) LOCAL SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013 Kuwait democracy on the Kuwait weighs line as court ruling looms blocking Viber? KUWAIT: Kuwait plans to study ways to control use of ‘country at crossroads’ free calling and instant messaging services provided through smartphone applications, a local daily report- KUWAIT: image has been shattered by years of former MP Mussallam Al-Barrak told an Kuwait now stands at a ed yesterday quoting Ministry of Communication political crossroads ahead of a crucial non-stop wrangling since the elec- opposition gathering this week. “The insiders who said that such services could be banned if court ruling tomorrow on a controver- toral law was changed in 2006 after regime wants autocracy... but through an agreement with developers could not be reached. sial electoral law, with the decision popular protests, allowing each eligi- the constitutional court,” he said. The news came days after Saudi Arabia announced affecting the future of democracy ble voter to choose a maximum of Islamist, nationalist and liberal opposi- blocking access to Viber after negotiations to allow itself in the state. The constitutional four candidates. tion groups said HH the Amir’s decree court, whose verdicts are final, will HH the Amir later used a highly was unconstitutional, enabling the government-monitoring for the service users in the rule whether an amendment decreed controversial clause in the constitu- government to manipulate election kingdom broke down. “[The Ministry of by His Highness the Amir Sheikh tion to issue his decree amending the results and subsequent legislation as a Communications] is studying a proposal to form a Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah last 2006 law, reducing the number of consequence. Independent lawyer technical committee whose job is to find ways by October to the electoral law is consti- candidates a voter can pick to just Hussein Al-Abdullah told AFP the five- which the state can monitor audio and video calling tutional or not. one. The clause at stake in tomorrow’s judge constitutional court could issue services used through smartphone applications”, said The Amiri decree led to a political ruling gives HH the Amir powers to one of four possible verdicts. “It may the sources as quoted by Al-Anba yesterday. They crisis that had engulfed the country in issue legislation when necessary and decide that ruling on emergency spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did 2006, sparking a wave of street in emergency situations such as when decrees issued by HH the Amir is not have permission from the relevant authorities to protests, some of which turned vio- parliament is either not in session or beyond the court’s jurisdiction, which speak about the subject. lent. Politicians, legal experts and has been dissolved. means the amendment of the elec- The sources specifically named Viber, an application opposition activists say tomorrow’s The current 50-seat parliament is toral law will be confirmed, though that allows users to exchange messages, photos and verdict could determine whether entirely composed of government loy- indirectly,” he said. “The second possi- videos as well as make calls free of charge using online Kuwait, the first Gulf state to embrace alists, after the opposition boycotted a bility is that the court may nullify the services. “Viber is surrounded with espionage accusa- democracy with its own parliament general election last December 1. The amendment decree which means tions especially that part of the company’s developers since 1962, stays democratic. HH the verdict could restrict HH the Amir’s scrapping parliament and holding a are centered in Israel while the company’s founder is Amir has explicitly said he will accept authority in issuing legislation and fresh election on the basis of the old an American-Israeli entrepreneur”, the sources the constitutional court’s verdict. lead to parliament being dissolved for electoral law” of 2006, Abdullah said. explained. The current plan is for the proposed com- Kuwait was long looked upon by the second time in a year. “On June “Under this scenario, the court will mittee to study whether using the applications meets neighboring Gulf nations as a beacon 16, governance will either return to effectively rationalize the head of local regulations as well as the mechanism ‘to keep of democracy with its vibrant parlia- the people or (there will be) autocratic state’s powers to issue legislation in them under control’. —Al-Anba ment and freedom of speech. But this rule,” leading opposition figure and the absence of parliament.” — AFP local SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013 Man drowns off Khairan, search on for another Two drug-pushers in police net By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Coastguards lifted a body of a man who drowned off Khairan beach yesterday morning. A search is ongoing for a second man who is reported miss- ing. Rescue teams went on a lookout mission after receiving reports that two people went missing while swimming at the Khor Al-Khairan zone which is known for strong currents. Rescuers eventually found a dead body identified as a Gulf national who was one of the two people reported missing. Search KUWAIT: The bootleggers with the confiscated alco- was going on for the second man. holic drinks. Drug-pushers arrested Bootleggers arrested Two drug-dealers were arrested in a by the school’s principal who reported accused employees at a local bank Drug Control General Department oper- the theft. Criminal investigators headed branch of forgery. The man explained in Farwaniya, Mangaf ation carried out yesterday. The first to the school to examine the scene. that he deposited KD250 into his suspect was arrested inside his house By Hanan Al-Saadoun Meanwhile, a Kuwaiti man headed to account using the ATM machine, but based on information about his activity the Salmiya police station to report a never received confirmation that the in drug trade. The stateless resident was theft committed at his shop in the area. transaction was successful. The man KUWAIT: Farwaniya police arrested 17 people in a successful arrested after police found 250 grams of raid on a property used to brew alcoholic drinks for sale. The man said that unknown suspects was told when he inquired with the hashish in his residence. He gave the broke into the shop located at the branches management that the ATM During the operation, police found equipment used for address of his accomplice who he brewing alcohol, as well as barrels filled with home-brewed Salem Al-Mubarak Street past working used is not under the bank’s supervi- accused of being the source of the hours and ran away with KD496. sion because it uses transactions car- liquor and bottles prepared for sale. The detainees who drugs. The Gulf national was arrested belong to an Asian nationality were referred to authorities Investigations are ongoing. ried out through the K-Net service. The inside his home where police found man explained to officers that he opted for further action. additional 250 grams of hashish. The Meanwhile, two Asian nationals were arrested in Mangaf Forgery to press charges after the bank refused two were referred to proper authorities A Kuwaiti man filed a case at the to provide him with CCTV tapes to con- during another raid of an apartment which was used as to face charges.