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B Izzak

KUWAIT: An employee of the department of election affairs closes the doors on the last day of registration for the upcoming National Assembly polls on March 13, 2024. – Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

255 hopefuls in Assembly race

KUWAIT: At the close of registration of candidates for the April 4 snap parliamentary elections, 255 candidates including 14 women have filed their nominations to run in the polls, the fourth in as many years. Forty-seven members out of 50 of the National Assembly dissolved by HH the Amir in February are seeking re-election and have urged Kuwaiti voters to turn out in large numbers and not be frustrated because of repeated elections.As many as 25...

KUWAIT: Officials are seen outside the department of election affairs as candidate registration opened on March 4, 2024. – Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

42 candidates file to contest polls as registration opens

KUWAIT: Forty-two candidates filed nomination papers on the first day of registration on Monday to run in the April 4 snap parliamentary elections that were called after the previous National Assembly was dissolved in February. The interior ministry opened registration of candidates after an Amiri decree was issued setting the election date on April 4, during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. Registration of candidates ends on March 13, while...

Aerial View of Kuwait Parliament Building during Day

Candidate registration opens, most ex-MPs bidding for re-election

KUWAIT: Registration for the April 4 snap parliamentary polls will start on Monday for 10 days, the interior ministry announced following the publication of an Amiri decree inviting voters to elect a new National Assembly in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm. As many as 49 out of the 50 members of the dissolved National Assembly have announced they are bidding for re-election, according to announcements made by them on social media. Only Osama...

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Kuwait to hold polls April 4

KUWAIT: The Cabinet decided on Tuesday to hold snap parliamentary elections on April 4, which coincides with the last 10 days of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, government spokesman Amer Al-Ajmi said. Ajmi said that during its meeting on Tuesday “the Cabinet approved a draft Amiri decree inviting voters to elect the National Assembly on Thursday, April 4”. The draft decree has been sent to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad...

Amer Al-Ajmi

Govt denies plans to change electoral districts, vote system

The government denied on Thursday reports circulating on social media claiming that the government was planning to change the electoral constituencies and the voting system. Government spokesman Amer Al-Ajmi said that the government has not studied any bill to change the electoral districts and “has no intention to change them”.“The upcoming elections will be held with the same electoral constituencies and based on the single-vote...

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Election commission law suspended

KUWAIT: The government issued a decree law suspending the election commission law for seven months and reissued the old elections law in a bid to facilitate holding the snap polls within the next two months. The dissolved National Assembly had issued the election commission law to appoint an independent authority to oversee parliamentary elections as part of political reforms.But the government said that it was not possible to appoint judges to...

KUWAIT: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah chairs a Cabinet meeting on Feb 19, 2024. - KUNA

Freeze on public sector jobs lifted

KUWAIT: The government has been informed that HH the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has lifted a total freeze on appointments, transfers and promotions in public jobs, Cabinet spokesman Amer Al-Ajmi said on Tuesday. HH the Amir took the decision to bar all appointments in government jobs on Dec 5 when he was still the Crown Prince. He became the ruler of the country on Dec 16 following the demise of former Amir Sheikh Nawaf...

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‘Voter suppression’ rumors denied

KUWAIT: The government on Sunday refuted rumors circulating on social media claiming that the government was planning to change the elections law with the aim of preventing thousands of Kuwaiti citizens from voting in the upcoming snap parliamentary polls. Government spokesman Amer Al-Ajmi denied the rumors in an official statement, saying that “circulating such reports destabilizes the nation’s unity and creates divisions”. Ajmi urged...

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Visa ‘ban’ remains on 8 countries as family visas queried

KUWAIT: The interior ministry has refused to change a previous decision that prohibits the entry of citizens from eight countries into Kuwait without high-level security approvals, suspending all related transactions. These countries are Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen and Sudan. Informed security sources have indicated that the decision is periodically reviewed, but no new developments have occurred that warrant a...

HH the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

AMIR DISSOLVES ASSEMBLY

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Thursday issued an Amiri decree dissolving the National Assembly over disrespectful remarks by lawmakers regarding the ruler, an official statement said. An official statement cited by the KUNA news agency said the parliament has been dissolved “due to the National Assembly breaching constitutional principles as it failed to show due respect to the political leadership (HH the...

KUWAIT: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah submits his financial disclosure records at the Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) on Feb 14, 2024. – KUNA

Cabinet shuns Assembly session

KUWAIT: The government on Wednesday did not attend the regular National Assembly session over sensitive remarks made by a lawmaker deemed offensive to HH the Amir, forcing the Assembly speaker to cancel the session. Ahmad Al-Saadoun told MPs at the scheduled start of the session that Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sharida Al-Maousherji called him the previous day to tell him the government will not attend the session.Saadoun said he later...

KUWAIT: Lawmakers attend a parliament session at the National Assembly on Feb 6, 2024. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Govt submits program with price rises, taxes; populist bills delayed

KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun informed lawmakers on Tuesday that the Assembly has received the government’s program of action. In the program, the government issued a stern warning that economic and financial reforms must not be delayed any longer, otherwise the cost of such reforms will be too expensive and the procedure will be extremely difficult.The government said in the program that it wants to review charges to a...

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Crackdown on visa violators

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Kuwait expands ‘open door’ policy to virtual domain

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HATHRAS, India: Policemen carry a person who died in a melee during a sermon in Uttar Pradesh state on July 2, 2024. - AFP

Stampede at India religious event kills 116

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Minister of Municipal Affairs Dr Noura Al-Mashaan and Head of the Municipal Council Abdullah Al-Mahari inspect the Darwazat Abdulrazzaq project. – KUNA photos

Darwaza Abdulrazzaq project set to reopen

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Interior cracks down on residency violators