Cabinet Resigns, New Assembly Meets Aug 6 Round the Clock
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SUBSCRIPTION MONDAY, JULY 29, 2013 RAMADAN 20, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Brotherhood Malians flock Hamilton stays on to vote in bid savours first Emsak: 03:26 streets despite to rebuild win for Fajer: 03:37 Dohr: 11:54 killings broke nation Mercedes Asr: 15:30 Maghreb: 18:42 8 10 20 Eshaa: 20:09 Cabinet resigns, new Max 46º Min 30º High Tide Assembly meets Aug 6 04:10 & 16:42 Sectarian radicals dealt a heavy blow, small tribes gain Low Tide 10:42 & 22:50 40 PAGES NO: 15884 150 FILS By B Izzak and Agencies conspiracy theories KUWAIT: The Cabinet yesterday submitted its resigna- tion to HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Agenda Kuwait following the National Assembly election as required under the Kuwaiti constitution. The announcement came after the Cabinet held an extraordinary session to assess the outcome of the polls. It also approved an Amiri decree setting Aug 6 as the date for the Assembly to convene for the first time. The Amir later in the day issued the decree. Under the constitution, the new By Badrya Darwish Assembly must hold its inaugural session two weeks after the declaration of results, but the government set an early date to avoid clashing with the Eid Al-Fitr holi- days expected to start on Aug 8. The Assembly is then expected to go on summer recess until the end of [email protected] October. The Amir is expected to accept the government’s res- ignation soon and then will hold customary consulta- ere we come again. Election number 8 is tions ahead of naming the new prime minister who over. I hope that election number 9 will be could be the outgoing premier Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak after four years. This parliament seems like a H Al-Sabah or any other member of the ruling family. The good mix of all groups of society, which is good. It new Cabinet must be ready before parliament meets. resembles, in fact, a diverse country like Kuwait. In developments related to the election, two candi- There is a group of hathars (urbanites), tribes and dates - speaker of the scrapped Assembly Ali Al-Rashed different sects. It is a fair division of parliament and his rival for the post Salafist Ali Al-Omair - have members too. It features many young people who, I already announced plans to contest the speaker’s post, hope, will show a lot of enthusiasm and dedication while reports said liberal MP Marzouk Al-Ghanem is also to serve Kuwait. expected to contest. The government’s votes will play a The astonishing thing for me is that there are pivotal role in deciding the race. The speaker, deputy only two women represented in this parliament. It speaker and various Assembly panels will be formed in is unbelievable how the role of women has been KUWAIT: Outgoing Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah meets HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- the inaugural session. fading away parliament after parliament. It is a Ahmad Al-Sabah yesterday. The Cabinet submitted its resignation to the Amir yesterday. — KUNA Continued on Page 15 shame! Women in Kuwait did not get their political rights to come to Abdullah Al-Salem hall easily. It was a long struggle which took place from 1961 till 2005. I do not know what happened to women in Arab Spring Israel approves release Kuwait! When women got the right to vote in 2005 and ran as candidates in 2006 for the first time, we were will take time of Palestinian prisoners happy to be represented by the four women MPs. After that, women started declining in parliament. to flower JERUSALEM: Israel’s cabinet yesterday approved the Even the performance of the first four MPs was not release of 104 Arab prisoners to help restart peace talks as expected. We justified it at the time as their lack PARIS: Disappointment over the lack of democratic with the Palestinians and end nearly three years of of experience in the political field. After Saturday’s progress in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya is understand- diplomatic stagnation. Thirteen ministers in Prime election, the number of women in parliament able, but the so-called Arab Spring of 2011 will take Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition cabinet voted decreased to two. I congratulate Safa Al-Hashem time to mature, analysts say, warning that the process in favour, seven voted against and two abstained, a gov- and Dr Maasouma Al-Mubarak for their victory! I will be chaotic. “We have to stop using seasonal ernment official said. “The cabinet has authorised the salute their courage. Dr Maasouma has resisted metaphors. We are in a revolutionary process that will opening of diplomatic talks between Israel and the every storm and managed to stay afloat. She took a take at least a decade,” says Karim Emile Bitar, an Palestinians...,” said a statement issued by the prime lot of blows both as a minister and as an MP. She expert on Arab affairs at the Paris-based Institute of minister’s office. still made it. She has been a hardline activist since International and Strategic Relations. “And ‘revolution- Netanyahu had earlier urged divided rightists in his women started campaigning for their rights. ary process’ means revolution, counter-revolution, cabinet to back the prisoner release, and postponed the What happened to women? Why did they deteri- efforts to fix the revolution, and that’s exactly what is weekly meeting of ministers by an hour to ensure a orate? Why are they going backwards? Are they happening,” he added. majority vote in favour. “This moment is not easy for me, influenced by their families? Are they influenced by In Egypt, the army ousted democratically elected is not easy for the cabinet ministers, and is not easy the political disputes in Kuwait? Did they give up president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim especially for the bereaved families, whose feelings I for this reason? Is it the lack of trust between each Brotherhood; Tunisia has seen sometimes violent understand,” Netanyahu said in broadcast remarks at other? demonstrations against the Islamist Ennahda govern- the start of the meeting, referring to families who have Previous elections showed that not many ment; while in Libya thousands of protesters rose up lost members in militant attacks. “But there are women voted for other women. Is the tribal system Saturday against political parties and Islamists moments in which tough decisions must be made for affecting them because they follow the opinion of blamed for the country’s instability. “There are many the good of the nation and this is one of those their family and tribal belonging? Did they fight all apparent similarities among these three countries,” moments.” these years just to get their rights on paper and said Denis Bauchard, a researcher at the French Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has demand- change the constitution? Did we fight just to have a Institute of International Relations. He spoke of a ed the release of prisoners held since before a 1993 legal paper saying that we can vote? Did we do it “clash between modernist and Islamic conservatives interim peace accord took effect. Israel has jailed thou- only as a legality? Did the fight end for us? Is that it? but also a resurgence of nostalgia for the old regimes” sands more Palestinians since then, many for carrying With two women MPs or no women MPs at all, I in Cairo, Tunis and Tripoli. But “in all three cases you out deadly attacks. The prisoner release would allow wish this parliament works in the interest of Kuwait have an evolving process in very different contexts,” Netanyahu to sidestep other Palestinian demands, such GAZA CITY: Mother of Palestinian Fares Baroud, who and not for certain individuals as we have seen Bauchard said. as a halt to Jewish settlement expansion and a guaran- has been held in an Israeli prison for 22 years, cries before. I hope there will be no special agendas. The Jean-Yves Moisseron of the Institute of Research tee that negotiations over borders will be based on as she holds his picture after hearing news of the only agenda, I hope, will be Kuwait. and Development and editor-in-chief of the magazine boundaries from before the 1967 Middle East war, when possible release of her son at her house in the Shati Continued on Page 15 Continued on Page 15 refugee camp yesterday. — AFP Ramadan Kareem Bahrain raises alarm Neighbors’ Rights-III By Hassan T Bwambale over rising violence bn Hajar - a prominent Muslim scholar - said, “You should treat your neighbor well and give him his MANAMA: Bahrain’s king urged lawmak- Saturday, has wounded several police- Irights whether he is a Muslim or non-Muslim, a ers yesterday to move ahead with pro- men and suggests that militant groups devout worshipper of Allah or a wicked person, a posed harsher measures against escalat- are operating with greater autonomy. friend or foe, beneficial to you or harmful.” (Fath Al- ing attacks by Shiite-led opposition fac- Bahrain’s main Shiite political blocs have Baari 10/456) tions, including banning protest gather- denounced the attacks, but also com- Allah says what can be translated as, “Worship ings in the capital, after top government plain about widespread injuries among Allah and join none with Him (in worship); and do officials joined an emergency parliament protesters from security forces using good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, the poor, the session to discuss the Gulf nation’s nearly birdshot fire and tear gas. neighbor who is near of kin, the neighbor who is a 30 months of unrest.