Many arrested for taking part in banned tribal primary elections
Police seizes ballot boxes, hunt for other suspects
KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry said yesterday that police have arrested “several people” for taking part in tribal primary elections banned under Kuwait law, and that they are still searching for other suspects. The ministry said in a statement that ballot boxes and instruments used in the outlawed elections were seized in a raid by detectives on several sites. The statement did not name the areas where the elections were held.
Under Kuwait law, tribal primary elections are banned and participants could face a jail term of up to five years and fines. But although such primaries had been banned more than 15 years ago, tribes and other sections of the society held them regularly and even results of the secret polls were announced on social media. Courts have heard dozens of cases of tribal primaries filed by authorities, but rarely suspects were convicted for a lack of evidence.
But the Criminal Court has recently sentenced an MP and a former MP from Shemmari tribe in Jahra to two years in jail after convicting them of holding the primaries. The Court of Appeals upheld the sentence and the case is now before the Court of Cassation, whose ruling is final. Local media reported that the primary elections were held in Sulaibikhat area and some reports mentioned that scores of participants had been arrested.
The ministry statement said that all people arrested had been referred to the Public Prosecution for further investigation. This is the first case of tribal primary elections the Interior Ministry has dealt with ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary polls after the National Assembly had been dissolved over political disputes. Under the Kuwait law, the snap polls must be held before October 2. A decree is expected to be issued within the coming days inviting Kuwaiti voters to elect a new 50-member national assembly.