A+ A-

Kuwait elections to be fair, transparent - observers vow

(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 KUNA 012223 Feb 12NNNN