LOC22:23
19:23 GMT
(With photos)
KUWAIT, Feb 1 (KUNA) -- A few hours before the start of the parliamentary
elections, Kuwaiti and international observers vowed Wednesday to do their
best to render it successful, fair and free.
In a press conference held at the 2012 Election Media Center, Ministry of
Interior Assistant Undersecretary for Public Security Major General Mahmoud
Al-Dosari said Kuwaiti people were keen on protecting their democratic
experiment.
Al-Dosari applauded His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah's approval of Kuwait Transparency Society's participation in
monitoring the election.
He noted that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Minister of
Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hamoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has formed a special
commission to monitor the elections comprising Kuwait Transparency Society,
Kuwait Bar Association, the Kuwaiti Journalists Association and
representatives from the Ministry of Interior.
He added that the commission will write a report on the irregularities
committed during the electoral process.
Al-Dosari, however, noted that countering irregularities outside polling
stations was a shared responsibility between the commission and voters.
He pointed out the commission have branches in the state's five
constituencies.
These branches are fully equipped with operation rooms to receive
complaints and irregularities reports.
A subcommittee has been formed in cooperation with Kuwait Municipality to
monitor campaigning in streets and inside polling stations, Al-Dosari
disclosed.
For his part, Chairman of Transparency Society Dr. Salah Al-Ghazali hailed
the government support to the KTS's role in monitoring the election.
He revealed that the KTS will issue a comprehensive, transparent and
independent report on the elections.
In this report, international observers will record their observations on
the election process as a whole, he said.
Al-Ghazali said that the KTS has recorded a number of irregularities in
cooperation with civil society organizations.
Chairman of the Arab NGO Network for Development Ziad Abdul-Samad believes
the Arab region has great potential and a lot to offer.
"We are trying to propose laws to ensure free and fair elections and to
allow all to participate," he said.
He added that the monitoring team has recorded several positive points in
the electoral law such as the measures that must be taken to guarantee the
secrecy of voting.
Abdul-Samad added that the electoral law criminalizes electioneering in
worship places, educational institutions, bribery and use of trade unions and
professional associations' funds in elections campaigns.
He, however, lamented the lack of an Independent Election Commission to
organize the elections and assignment of this task to the Ministry of Interior.
Abdul-Samad said the age of vote in Kuwait is 21, relatively high compared
with other countries whose people get the right of vote at 18.
He unveiled that the Ministry of Information has prepared a huge plan for
covering the elections including more than 1,200 media people from Kuwait and
world countries.
The Ministry also prepared media center to facilitate their reporters' work
includes studios, telecommunications equipment and a series of press
conference and interviews.
For his part, Head of Kuwait Bar Association Khaled Al-Kandari underlined
the importance of transparency of the electoral process. He added that vote
counting process will be open and transparent.
Meanwhile, Kuwait Journalists Association member Waleed Al-Ahmad said the
government is eager on rendering the electoral process successful and
transparent through approving civil society organizations participation in
monitoring it.
He noted that Kuwaiti media has played an instrumental role in enriching
the political experiment.
Kuwaiti people enjoy the freedom expression but this freedom should be
accompanied by responsibility and self-censorship, Al-Ahmad said.
Dutch observer and member of the Building Bridges Society Amal Hess express
hope to foster the culture of human rights and strengthen the role of civil
society in the Gulf states, stressing the importance of Kuwaiti experience in
this regard.
Hassan Abdel-Atti, a member of the Arab Network for Democratic Elections,
said his organization not only monitors the electoral process, but also the
development of the whole democratic process.
He added that this is done through the exchange of experience, stressing
the need to develop civil society contribution in the democratic process.
Thursday's election is the country's second in a three-year period. Kuwait
had voted on seven occasions between 1991 and 2012.
There are 287 candidates running for 50 seats, including 23 women. There
are 400,296 eligible voters in Kuwait. (end)
mdm.abd.ibi
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