Kuwait Progressive Movement ends boycott, to run for parliament

KUWAIT: Kuwait Progressive Movement (KPM) yesterday announced its intention to take part in the upcoming parliamentary elections to be able to address the public and mobilize public opinion against violations of freedoms, democracy and public gains. In a press release it issued yesterday, KPM added that the aim of taking part in the elections is to expose what it described as the organized looting of Kuwait fortunes, expose corruption, defend public funds and gains and reject any infringement of those gains. “For us in KPM, running for the coming parliamentary elections is not motivated by illusions about achieving reform from within the parliament regardless from the role to be played by the people. It is rather a chance to address the people and mobilize public opinion,” the KPM statement.

Further, KPM noted that after boycotting parliamentary elections in 2012 and 2013 in protest against the one-vote law, which it still rejects, with the nearness of the opening of the last term in this parliament’s tenure, the proximity of the coming elections and the noticeable electoral activity by many nominees and political blocs, it decided to run in the coming elections to advocate public freedoms and social and democratic gains, expose corrupt practices and “organized looting of public funds and fortunes.” KPM also promised to follow a different electoral and parliamentary approach and to make use of and revive earlier democratic opposition experiences of the 1960s and 1970s.