SUBSCRIPTION THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 SHAABAN 25, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Morsi overthrown Max 46º Min 31º High Tide by military ‘coup’ 07:25 & 21:25 Low Tide 01:16 & 15:01 40 PAGES NO: 15859 150 FILS Kuwait urges citizens to leave Egypt immediately CAIRO: The Egyptian army toppled elected Islamist President Mohamed Morsi yesterday after a week of bloodshed that killed nearly 50 people as millions took to the streets to demand an end to his turbulent single year of rule. The announcement, made on state television by Morsi’s own defence minister, armed forces chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, drew a rapturous welcome from the protesters who have camped out on the streets of Cairo for days. Sisi also announced a freezing of the Islamist-drafted consti- tution and early presidential elections. Thousands of people immediately took to the streets of the capital to cel- ebrate, cheering, whistling, letting off firecrackers, and honking car horns in joyous scenes. But Morsi’s office rejected the move as “illegal” and called on Egyptians to peacefully resist the “coup”. A state- ment published in Morsi’s name on his official Facebook page after Sisi’s speech said the measures announced amounted to “a full military coup” and were “totally rejected”. Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, came under massive pressure in the run-up to Sunday’s anniversary of his maiden year in office, with his opponents accusing him of failing the 2011 revo- lution by concentrating power in Islamist hands. The embattled 62-year-old pro- posed a “consensus government” as a way out of the country’s worst crisis since the 2011 uprising ended three decades of authoritarian rule by Hosni Mubarak. But the United States urged Morsi to “do more” as a military deadline passed for him to meet the demands of the people following a week of bloody unrest during mass protests calling for him to quit. The advice came too late, however, as the army said the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Al-Mansour, a previously little CAIRO: Fireworks light the sky as protesters celebrate in Tahrir Square after the Egyptian military announced it was ousting Islamist President Mohamed Morsi yesterday. known judge, would become the new leader of the Arab (Inset top) An image grab taken from Egyptian state TV shows Egyptian Defence Minister Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi delivering a statement announcing the ousting of Morsi world’s most populous country. (seen inset below in a file photo). — AP/AFP Continued on Page 15 Police calm sectarian flare-up No licenses without Lawyer sues mourners of slain Egypt Shiite cleric traffic chief’s nod By B Izzak By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Kuwaiti lawyer Duwaim Al-Muwaizri KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry’s yesterday sued a number of Shiite figures who Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic organized a small gathering late Tuesday to pay Affairs Maj Gen Abdulfattah Al-Ali tribute to slain Egyptian Shiite cleric Hassan issued a decision yesterday to stop the Shahata, claiming that the gathering aimed at acceptance of applications for driving stirring sectarian strife in Kuwait. The move came licenses from non-Kuwaitis (expatriates a day after police prevented Sunni and Shiite and bedoons) unless they are approved activists from clashing outside the Ashour hus- by his office. The decision number seiniya in Bneid Al-Gar as stones and bottles 61/2013 went into effect from July 1, were hurled in one of the most serious sectarian 2013, and allows the undersecretary’s incidents in the state for a long time. After Shiite office to inspect every application for- activists announced they were holding the gath- warded by foreigners and stateless resi- ering late at night, online Sunni activists called dents in order to verify whether they for assembling outside the husseiniya in a bid to meet the conditions to apply for a driv- prevent the Shiite ceremony. ing license. Ali reportedly threatened Shahata was killed in Egypt last month along traffic department officials with retribu- tion if they fail to abide by the new with some of his supporters by angry Sunni resi- instructions. dents who blamed him for insulting and humili- According to security sources who Maj Gen Abdulfattah Al-Ali ating senior companions of Prophet Muhammad spoke to a local daily, the decision (PBUH) and his wife Aisha who are highly revered least two years among other conditions came after cases were discovered in by Sunnis. Sunni activists in Kuwait said that to apply for a driving license. which manipulations were found in eulogizing Shahata is an insult to Sunnis. The sources also argued that the some departments where licenses were Muwaizri said in his lawsuit filed with the public new decision does not take away the issued to expatriates who do not meet prosecutor that the gathering by Shiites risked a authority of traffic departments around the requirements. A foreign resident in flare-up in sectarian tensions in Kuwait amid tur- Kuwait. “The departments’ main role is Kuwait must have a university degree, a to issue licenses to Kuwaitis, while issu- bulent regional developments. No action was minimum monthly salary of KD 400 and immediately ordered by the public prosecutor ing licenses to expatriates is the KUWAIT: Policemen try to separate Shiite and Sunni groups outside the Ashour hus- have been residing in Kuwait for at Continued on Page 15 Continued on Page 15 seiniya in Bneid Al-Gar late on Tuesday. — Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 LOCAL Awatef Atiyya Al-Qallaf Faleh Saad Al-Huwailah Khaled Al-Yaqout Mekhled Rashed Al-Azmi Naser Abdulrahman Al-Rshaid Saad Mohammed Al-Azmi Sabah Hameed Ali Salem Refai Al-Dousary Saud Mutlaq Al-Subai'e Sultan Nashmi Al-Thafeeri Electoral ad between competition and Ramadan drama KUWAIT: Election campaigns are often tions, especially National Assembly polls. paigning advertisements than shows and dra- and platforms for people and bodies to deliver For his part, Yusuf Jawhar, a media figure, marked by wide-scale advertisements pur- Dr Mahmoud Al-Musawi, a professor of mas, Al-Musawi pointed out. certain messages that could fail to stick to said advertisements play a significant role in posed to reach out to voters and to deliver mass communication with Kuwait University, Dr Mohammad Al-Haddad, a professor of objectivity and conviction criteria. campaigning by means of delivering mes- them electoral messages and programs. said satellite channels will be overwhelmed by sociology with Kuwait University, said the elec- Therefore, he called on such channels to sages to voters within a record time. To be effective, advertisements should be TV shows and dramas during the holy month tion is a thriving business season involving review and rectify their approaches out of But, he expected that this time the experi- objective and logical, avoid exaggeration and of Ramada. several sectors, including satellite channels. national responsibility and serious commit- ment would be uneasy owing to tight time observe certain criteria and rules. The fact that the election will be held in He stressed the significant role of local ment to the positive responsible role in the and the holy of month of Ramadan. Several academicians and specialists said Ramadan will cause some trouble to satellite satellite channels in responding to this consti- consolidation and promotion of national unity He called on satellite channels to ensure electoral advertisements ought to be subject channels due to commercials, he said. tutional event and leading the public opinion. as well as the embodiment of responsible free- objective advertisements based on logical and to regulations and controls in all types of elec- Viewers are expected to watch more cam- He said some people view channels as tools dom. effective contents. — KUNA Al-Mousherji stresses fight against domestic violence KUWAIT: Minister of Justice and Minister The minister thanked all state bodies of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Shareeda Al- and civil society organizations for remark- Mousherji said here yesterday Kuwait is ably contributing to the formulation of the determined to fight all types of domestic document of the draft law and for working violence. to establish a domestic violence treatment Speaking at a domestic violence event, center. For his part, Secretary-General of the minister said the protection of the the General Secretariat of Awqaf Dr. family and society is enshrined in the Abdulmohsen Al-Kharafi underlined the Kuwaiti constitution. significance of the document to the socie- Domestic violence includes violence ty which aims to protect domestic vio- against women and that’s why national lence victims. The document calls for efforts should be stepped up to support a enacting pieces of legislation purposed to national project for backing issues of protect the targeted group of the project domestic violence, and to adopt the doc- in cooperation with competence agencies ument of an anti-domestic violence bill, and to find appropriate means to protect he said. this group, he added. — KUNA Should the legal voting age of 21 be lowered or raised? KUWAIT: While some view that the current the age of 18 as one when people are intro- legal voting age in Kuwait of 21 is not duced to university life and when one’s enough for the development of one’s con- concepts, ideas and opinions are formed. cept of the right to choose the most suit- “The proportion of this community able candidate, others view that this should (youth) is very large (in the Kuwaiti society) be lowered to 18 as is adopted in many and they should be given the right to other nations. express their opinions as mature individu- The political reality in Kuwait, some als and at an age that qualifies their right to argue, urges the voter carry a sence of choose - everyone has their own beliefs maturity, with enough culture and educa- and independent views,” he opined.