Kuwait's ruler dissolves parliament, elections loom

Kuwait's ruler dissolves parliament, elections loom Sun, Oct 07 07:15 AM EDT By Sylvia Westall KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait's ruler ordered the dissolution of parliament on Sunday, a senior government minister said, opening the way to a parliamentary election in the major oil-producing Gulf Arab state after months of political deadlock. The emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, had been widely expected to take the decision following a cabinet request to dissolve the assembly. Elections now need to be held within 60 days under constitutional rules. Kuwait, a regional U.S. ally, has a relatively open political system by Gulf standards and has avoided an uprising like those that have ousted leaders in four Arab states since early last year. But tensions have grown between its elected parliament and hand-picked government. The emir, who has the final say in state affairs, picks the prime minister, who in turn selects a cabinet. "The emir issued a decree to dissolve parliament," state news agency KUNA said, citing Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Mubarak al-Sabah, who handles cabinet affairs. The last parliamentary elections were in February and opposition Islamist and tribal candidates performed strongly. They formed an opposition bloc that put pressure on the government, which is dominated by the Al-Sabah ruling family. The opposition pushed two government ministers from their posts during that legislature. Political upheaval has held up investment projects and economic reforms in the wealthy OPEC member state. This is the sixth dissolution of parliament since Sheikh Sabah came to power in early 2006. INVESTMENT STALLED The parliament was last broken up in June by Kuwait's top court over a technicality. The old assembly that the court reinstated had been unable to meet because of a boycott by MPs. The turmoil has held up a 30 billion dinar ($108 billion) economic development plan and this year's phase of the project was rejected by opposition deputies in April. The plan is supposed to provide a series of infrastructure projects including a new airport terminal, new oil refinery and hospitals, and is aimed at diversifying the oil-reliant economy and drawing in foreign investment. The latest political row had frozen parliamentary debate - the 2012 assembly was not even able to approve a budget for the current financial year. In a separate ruling last month, Kuwait's top court rejected a government bid to change voting boundaries, leaving it without a clear long-term option to resolve the political crisis. The ruling suggested that when a new assembly is elected it will likely have a similar make-up to the one elected in February and could prove just as challenging to the government. Opposition lawmakers and political activists have held a series of rallies in recent weeks outside parliament, numbering thousands of people, and have called for an elected government and a more transparent political system. Political parties are banned in Kuwait so MPs form blocs based on policy and family ties. (Editing by Andrew Torchia and Jon Hemming)

Protesters flout ban in fight to become Kuwaitis

14 Jan 2012 18:40 Source: Reuters // Reuters * Stateless demonstrate for second day on Saturday * HRW criticises Kuwait over ban on protests (Adds new protests) DUBAI, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Police in Kuwait fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of stateless people on Saturday after they defied a protest ban and held demonstrations calling for the right to become Kuwaiti citizens, residents said. Stateless Arabs, known as Bidoons, often hold small-scale demonstrations in marginalised neighbourhoods near the capital. Many are descendants of desert nomads denied citizenship under strict nationality laws in Kuwait, whose citizens are entitled to generous welfare benefits. "There were protests again in two areas outside Kuwait City today. There were dozens of arrests and some injuries, but those who are hurt often don't go to hospitals for fear of being arrested," a resident told Reuters. On Friday, several people were injured and dozens detained at another rally by the stateless people, al Jazeera TV said. Protesters damaged property and police vehicles and threw stones injuring several officers during the Friday protest, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. Kuwait had banned protests by the Bidoons, drawing criticism by U.S.-based Human Rights Watch group. Kuwait's generous welfare system has helped it avoid the kind of discontent seen elsewhere in the region a year since Tunisia toppled its autocratic leader. However, deadlock between parliament and the government and accusations of corruption against the ex-prime minister have stirred unrest. Kuwait is estimated to be home to up to 180,000 Bidoons compared to a total population of more than 2.7 million in 2010, according to World Bank figures. Kuwait, one of the richest countries in the world on a per capita basis, thanks to its oil wealth, plans to hold a parliamentary election in February, following the resignation of the government in November. (Reporting by Mahmoud Harbi; Writing by Firouz Sedarat; editing by Andrew Roche)

After Gaza and Iran, now it is Kuwait!!!!

On 18th Mayin Kuwait the Sunni and Shiite Islamists have won an absolute majority of the 50-member parliament. It is not clear how Bush would receive the news following his call for democracy and freedom in the Arab world today18.05.08 at the economic forum at Sharm Al-Sheikh in Egypt. In Iran, Ahmedinejad defeated 'moderate' Dr Khatemi while in Gaza, Hamas defeated 'moderate' Mahmoud Abbas's PLO. The Americans are known to support democratic elections only if they end up in the installation of a client regime. Right now, most pro-American regimes in the area are led by corrupt autocratic dictators, Kings, Sultans, Emirs and Pigs of the Arab Gulf. Because of the on-going USraeli anti-Islamic crusade, all free and fair elections in the Arab world will be won by anti-American forces. To G.W. Bush, all is going alright but in the wrong direction.

Because of Bush's failed policies and swashbuckling cowboy politics America is in a mess domestically and on the international level. I feel sorry for anyone who enters the Whitehouse. Bush hopes that the next president will be worse than him, as on a scale of 1- 43 Bush can easily score 43, with 1 as the top and 43 as the bottom.

At this very moment 60% of Kuwait is under the contol of US army, where it has its HQ for Middle East operations. It is like here in Iraq, we jumped from Saddm frying pan into the American fire.

It is illogical to expect Arabs and Muslims to be moderate while their lands under brutal USraeli occupations and experiencing Nazi-style strocities. Moderate Dr Khatemi of Iran was rewarded with his country being labelled by G.W. Bush as part of "the Axis of evil", a phrase coined by Jewish David Frum, one of Bush speech writers. And what did moderate Mahmoud Abbas gain? Abbas was unable to remove one single Israeli road block, to free Palestinian inmates from Israeli concentration camps or to stop the building of settlements. Compromises mean submission, prostration and accepting Israeli table scraps. "Peace will only come from the barrel of the Gun", Mao. And "if Arabs and Muslims don't have peace no-one will", Bin Laden.
Adnan Darwash, Iraq Occupation Times

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Bush will be gone soon, Adnan. Someone else will have to shake hands with whomever runs Kuwait. I believe it was the Jubar Family before? I dont follow such things too closely. And Emir who ran away and left the country when Saddam came in? That guy, yeah. Was he well loved?

So you are telling us that now someone else will be senior in Kuwait? is that the news?

Should the United States be alarmed at the election? You seem to be.

So it WAS a free and fair Election as you see it? I trust your assessment is correct.
Will of the people and all that?

Will Kuwait be forming an alliance with a new arrangement of power in the Gulf? Will they be buying their Tanks and fighter aircraft or will they expect someone else to do their fighting for them? I dont remember the Kuwaitis as being particularly formidable warriors. I remember them as showing up AFTER the fighting was all over actually.

Have thy suddenly changed in their basic nature? Arabs buy their protection on that side of the Gulf, dont they? They pay other people to fight for them, they dont actually DO any fighting for themselves. The only people who actually died for Kuwait when Saddam came down were the Brit mercenaries at the Palace.

And the Palestinians in Kuwait went banannas raping and looting and molesting the Kuwaiti children when they broke into the nice Kuwaiti suburban homes, I seem to remember. That's why after Kuwait was liberated by strangers and had their country given back to the Kuwaitis so they could actually have a country.... even though they didnt fight for it themselves...the Kuwaitis deported every damn Palestinian they could find and kicked them all out. That is what happened, wasnt it?

Now Kuwait has a dominant position at OmalKasr in Iraq...( did I spell that right?) and pretty much run the Port facilities there.

But the real bottomline is should the US be actually CONCERNED about the Election you are pointing out? The Kuwaitis are going to be some sort of "problem" now? Have they suddenly grown a backbone of some kind? Have they overnight become a people to take seriously? I think they will be a lot like they have been in the past and try and sell me a gold chain and ask me if I have a copy of Playboy Magazine.

Somehow I dont see Kuwaitis as being smooth with loading a mag into an automatic weapon. I see them as licking their fingers in the Lamb and rice at a party and smelling of cologne.

Kuwait isnt going anywhere, Adnan. They would have to ask the chauffuer for the keys....Seraph