SUBSCRIPTION MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013 SHAABAN 8, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Court upholds one-vote Max 43º Min 31º decree, scraps Assembly High Tide 05:48 & 17:16 New elections to be held • Opposition to boycott polls Low Tide 11:48 & 23:50 40 PAGES NO: 15842 150 FILS By B Izzak conspiracy theories KUWAIT: In yet another dramatic day in Kuwait’s politi- cal crisis, the constitutional court yesterday nullified the Is 8 a lucky election process held on Dec 1 last year and dissolved the National Assembly, but at the same time it upheld the controversial Amiri decree that amended the elec- number? toral law and sparked street protests. Head of the court’s five-judge panel Youssef Al-Mutawa read out the verdict in the Palace of Justice auditorium that was packed with journalists and lawyers. The court, whose verdicts are final, called for holding fresh elections on the basis of the single-vote law that has been repeated- ly described by the opposition as unconstitutional. By Badrya Darwish The court based its decision to scrap the Assembly for the second time in a year on the basis that another Amiri decree issued in October last year to establish the National Election Committee is “unconstitutional”, say- ing there was no urgency in issuing the decree. In June [email protected] last year, the constitutional court nullified the election process and scrapped the opposition-dominated Assembly that was elected in Feb 2012 on the basis of ongratulations and celebrations, but it seems flawed procedures. like the one vote is the only option for you A few months later, HH the Amir issued the contro- Cand me. At last after a long wait, the constitu- versial decree to amend the electoral law under a clause tional court gave its last verdict. Naturally, most peo- in the constitution that gives the Amir the right to issue ple expected this ruling, myself one of them. Few laws when the Assembly is absent or dissolved. The disputed that it would be otherwise. On the other decree amended the electoral constituency law by KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah addresses the nation yesterday. — KUNA hand, if you look at this, the one-vote system is not a reducing the number of candidates a voter can pick bad option. from a maximum of four to just one. Accordingly, the Actually, the idea of the one-vote system gives a Amir respects court ruling, decree was known as the single-vote law. The court chance to those who do not have a tribe supporting explained that the executive authority has the full right them and reduces the bad influence of nepotism. to issue legislation when the Assembly is dissolved and But in all honesty, I do not see it working in Kuwait. urges unity against chaos pointed out that the amendment decree could not wait Maybe it suits the globe because many countries until the Assembly came back. As a result, the court said KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- it and abide by it,” Sheikh Sabah said in a speech to the adopt the one-vote system. Don’t forget that these the controversial decree served national interests, Jaber Al-Sabah affirmed full respect to the constitu- nation following the constitutional court’s ruling. places have party systems. We do not have party adding that many democratic countries in the world tional court’s ruling yesterday, calling on his fellow Complying with the court’s ruling will reflect “respect systems. And let’s not forget that Kuwait is a tribal have a single-vote system in elections. Kuwaitis to unite against “voices of chaos”, sedition and to our high esteem judiciary ... and commitment to our country. No matter how hard we try to avoid tribal- But the opposition decided after a late-night meet- democracy. “I repeat what I have said before that I constitution. This is what we have always been keen on ism, it will take us many years to break away from it. ing that it will boycott the forthcoming election, say- accept ... the ruling of the constitutional court regard- and will always be God’s willing,” said the Amir. We can see this in any aspect in Kuwait. All the latest ing the verdict has effectively ended the Kuwaiti con- less of its content, and I call upon all citizens to respect Continued on Page 15 incidents and political issues showed that you can- stitution. not undermine the tribes and their role in the politi- Continued on Page 15 cal landscape of the country. The only thing that I really loved is the dissolving of the current parliament. The problem is that these Morsi cuts Syria ties, backs no-fly zone parliamentarians used to brag how much they did for Kuwait. Take the Dow deal for example. Most CAIRO: Egyptian President Mohamed heretics, infidels, oppressors and poly- recently, Kuwait paid $2 billion and a bit over as Morsi said he had cut all diplomatic ties theists. It was also a show of support for compensation to a US company for backing out of a with Damascus on Saturday and backed Morsi as his opponents mobilise for contract that was signed between them. Honestly, I a no-fly zone over Syria, pitching the protests to demand early presidential cannot recall any accomplishments that this parlia- most populous Arab state more firmly elections. Morsi waved Syrian and ment has done. If you are familiar with any, please against President Bashar Al-Assad. Egyptian flags as he entered the audito- enlighten me. Except being a totally pro-govern- Addressing a rally called by Sunni rium packed with 20,000 supporters. The ment parliament that never rejected any govern- Muslim clerics in Cairo, the Sunni crowd chanted: “From the free revolu- ment proposal, there was nothing much from their Islamist head of state also warned tionaries of Egypt: We will stamp on you, side. They defied the concept of what parliaments Assad’s ally, the Iranian-backed Bashar!” are for. Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, to pull Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood politi- By the way, by now I have lost track of how many back from fighting in Syria. “Hezbollah cian, steered clear of direct references to parliaments we have had in the past few years. Is must leave Syria. These are serious Shiites and Iran but in a partial allusion eight going to be a lucky number? I hope so. The words,” said Morsi, whose country host- to Tehran, he accused states in the other problem for us is that the new elections ed a conference of Sunni clerics this region and beyond of feeding “a cam- should be held within two months. The coming week who issued a call for holy war paign of extermination and planned eth- month of Ramadan means that elections will fall in against Damascus. “There is no space or nic cleansing” in Syria. “We decided August, when people will be travelling for holidays place for Hezbollah in Syria,” Morsi said. today to entirely break off relations with out of the country. This means we have to stay in The rally underscored the region’s Syria and with the current Syrian Kuwait just for the elections. I wonder how many deepening sectarian rift. A cleric who regime,” he said. CAIRO: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi waves as he arrives at a rally to show people will make this sacrifice? spoke before Morsi described Shiites as Continued on Page 15 solidarity with the people of Syria, in a stadium on Saturday. — AP in the news Gulf welcomes Rowhani Hajj pilgrim numbers cut KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah congratulat- Saudis to block WhatsApp RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has cut back the number of pilgrims that may DUBAI: Saudi Arabia plans to block Internet-based communication tool ed moderate cleric Hassan Rowhani for winning the presidential elections on WhatsApp within weeks if the US-based firm fails to comply with perform the hajj this year due to construction work aimed at expanding Saturday. Sheikh Sabah said he was looking forward to cementing bilateral requirements set by the kingdom’s telecom regulator, local newspapers the holy site of Makkah, the hajj minister said. The authorities had relations and cooperation for the best common interest. Sheikh Sabah wished reported this week. This month the Communications and Information decided to reduce by half the number of pilgrims coming from within Rowhani success and hoped that bilateral relations would further improve and Technology Commission (CITC) banned Viber, another such tool, which Saudi Arabia, and by about 20 percent those from abroad, said Bandar develop. Saudi King Abdullah also congratulated Rowhani yesterday. “We are like WhatsApp is hard for the state to monitor and deprives telecom Hajjar. “This is an exceptional and temporary decision,” the minister said, glad to congratulate you in the name of the people and government of Saudi companies of revenue from international calls and texts. “We have been quoted by SPA state news agency late on Saturday. Some 3.1 million Arabia... wishing prosperity to the people of the brotherly Islamic republic of communicating with WhatsApp and other similar communication plat- pilgrims performed the hajj last year, most of them from abroad. Hajjar Iran,” King Abdullah told Rowhani in a letter. The king hailed Rowhani’s views forms to get them to cooperate and comply with the Saudi telecom said the expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah would add 400,000 on regional cooperation and improving relations.