Kuwait dissolves parliament, calls for fresh elections
Iran Press TV
Sun Jun 16, 2013 3:8PM GMT
Kuwait's constitutional court has dissolved the country's loyalist-dominated parliament, ordering fresh elections, official sources say.
The official Kuwait News Agency said on Sunday that the top court has dissolved the current parliament, citing flaws in the procedures leading to the elections.
The high court said on Sunday it was scrapping the December election because the decree issued by Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, which set up a National Election Commission last October, was unconstitutional.
The December 1, 2012 parliamentary election was boycotted by the country's opposition. Since then, protests have been held to demand the parliament be dissolved and the changes made to the country's electoral law be reversed.
The court, on Sunday, also approved the controversial electoral law which sparked the boycott of the parliament election last year.
An amendment to an electoral law last year reduced the number of candidates Kuwaitis could choose from four to one.
This is the second time in a year that Kuwait has dissolved the parliament.
Earlier last year, the emir dissolved a pro-government parliament following its reinstatement in June by a court ruling.
Since 2006, Kuwait has witnessed the dissolution of parliament several times.
Kuwait was the first Arab state in the Persian Gulf to establish an elected parliament in 1962. However, the Al Sabah family remained in control of key posts, including the premiership and the ministries of defense, interior, and foreign affairs.
SZH/PR
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
