Kandari first MP to file financial disclosure

Rain continues through tomorrow

MP Abdul Kareem Al-Kandari yesterday submitted his financial disclosure statement to the Public Anti-Corruption Authority, becoming the first lawmaker to do so. Accordingly, the authority reminded other lawmakers that they had to submit their statements within 60 days after the declaration of parliamentary election results.

In the meantime, MP Yousef Al-Fadhalah urged the government to perform differently and show more cooperation with the parliament, starting with the inaugural session when the speaker, deputy speaker and committee members are elected. “I urge the government to refrain from voting in these elections to show its good intentions,” he underlined, noting that the government has the right to take part in the voting but added it is not a must.

Separately, the Kuwait Democratic Forum (KDF) said that the recent elections created a state of cautious optimism that calls for selecting a suitable Cabinet accordingly. In a press release it issued yesterday, KDF stressed that the elections led to considerable change of up to 60 percent in the new parliament formation, and this calls for the government to meticulously review the results and accordingly appoint a Cabinet suitable for this particular phase, especially when a large number of young lawmakers who are more capable of effecting socioeconomic reforms won the elections.

KDF also called to show national solidarity and political stability by cancelling and amending a number of laws that undermine liberties. Furthermore, KDF stressed that the top public priorities now include issuing a general amnesty to free all prisoners of conscience, cancelling the political isolation law, passing a law to protect citizenship and prevent withdrawing them except through court orders related to forgery, and amending and developing the current electoral system to adopt the relative electoral list system in order to achieve justice amongst various electoral constituencies and prevent by-elections and vote-buying.

In addition, KDF also called for holding a national conference with the participation of all blocs without alienating any in order to jointly discuss various views on political, social, economic and educational reforms.

Challenge

Meanwhile, a candidate who lost in the elections yesterday filed a strange complaint contesting the results. He wondered how he did not get any vote - not even his own. “I did vote for myself!” he exclaimed. In the meantime, a number of Mutairi tribe diwans urged all the tribe’s candidates in the fourth constituency to file complaints contesting the election results.

Separately, a court yesterday sustained a previous ruling sentencing a blogger known as ‘Chabreet Seyassi’ (Political Matches) to 10 years in prison and acquitting lawyer Falah AlHajraf and Bader Abdul Aziz, who had all been accused in a state security case.

Also yesterday, a lawyer filed a state security case against a poetess accusing her of posting a tweet in which she insulted and denigrated the followers of a doctrine, which undermines national solidarity. The poetess is expected to be summoned for further investigations.

Following rain in various areas including Salmi and Jahra where it rained relatively heavily, Kuwait Meteorology Department reminded of its previous warning that scattered rain might fall and could sometimes be thundery, accompanied by winds of up to 50 kph. The department also expects rain showers to continue today and tomorrow.

Led by the acting assistant secretary general for planning and follow up at the Supreme Planning and Development Council Haifa AlMudaf, a team including a number of female engineers and researchers yesterday visited the Sabah Al-Salem University City project site. Mudaf said that the visit was part of the followup plan for the projects listed in the development plan to make sure work is progressing according to schedule. She added that two of the faculties’ buildings will be completed and handed over next year, while the other nine colleges would be completed in 2019.