Kuwait rejects appeals against parliament poll results

By Mohamed Abdul Ghaffar

KUWAIT CITY

Kuwait’s constitutional court rejected Wednesday almost all appeals filed against the results of a legislative election held late last year.

Following last November’s polls, outgoing MPs lodged a total of 52 appeals with the constitutional court challenging both the election results and an October decree by Kuwait’s emir dissolving the previous assembly.

In a Wednesday session, the court announced its rejection of all the appeals, except one lodged against an earlier decision depriving opposition MP Marzouk al-Khalifa’s parliamentary membership.

Al-Khalifa’s removal from the assembly had served to further erode the opposition’s ability to influence legislation.

Nevertheless, opposition lawmakers are still able to pressure the government by subjecting Cabinet ministers to interpellations (the right of MPs to formally question government officials).

In February, the constitutional court set May 3 as the date for delivering its final decision on all legal appeals pertaining to the results of last year’s election.

Held Nov. 26 of last year, Kuwait’s parliamentary polls saw almost half of the assembly’s 50 seats won by opposition candidates.