KUWAIT: The interior ministry yesterday announced it will receive applications from parliamentary election candidates from Oct 26, 2020 to Nov 4, 2020. Those planning to contest the National Assembly elections on Dec 5 have to meet several conditions, including: To be an original Kuwaiti according to the law; their name must be on electoral lists; they must not be younger than 30 years on election day; they must be able to read and write Arabic; and they must not have been sentenced for a crime that compromises honor and honesty unless their status has been restored to them. Those who were convicted of insulting God, the prophets and the Amir will permanently disbarred from running for parliamentary elections.

To obtain and submit the candidacy application, hopefuls should go to Khawla Joint Girls School in Shuwaikh residential area's block 2 between 7:30 am and 1:30 pm to receive the application. They should bring along their original citizenship certificate, civil ID and two photographs. The applicant must personally fill in the application and pay a deposit of KD 50 (through K-Net) as mentioned in article 21 of law 35/1962. The applicant should then take the application to their area's police station at least seven days before election day.

A candidate can also withdraw their candidacy through a letter submitted to the police station where the application was submitted at least seven days before election day. A candidate is not allowed to run in more than one precinct and must relinquish their candidacy from other constituencies, otherwise their candidacy in all precincts will be cancelled.

Those in public employment are not allowed from the day after closing of candidacy applications until the end of the election process to practice their jobs. Ministers and members of the judiciary, public prosecution and the investigation department are not allowed to run for parliament unless they resign in advance.

Election committee chiefs, members and their first-degree relatives are not allowed to run in constituencies where these committees are operating unless they resign from them. If the applicant is a member of the military or police, they must present evidence proving their end of service at the time the application is submitted.