Kuwait court nullifies parliament polls; reinstates previous parliament |
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Posted on 6/20/2012 |
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Kuwait's constitutional court on Wednesday declared February's legislative polls in which the opposition swept to victory illegal, and reinstated the previous pro-government parliament. "The court nullifies the election that was held on February 2, 2012... and cancels the membership of MPs who were declared winners," said the court verdict, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.
Leading opposition MP Mussallam al-Barrak described the verdict as "a coup against the constitution" and called for the opposition to take a united stand. The court based its decision on the grounds that two decrees "dissolving the previous parliament and calling for a fresh election were illegal," the
verdict said.
The ruling also stipulated that "the previous parliament regains its constitutional powers as if it had not been dissolved". Rulings by the Gulf state's highest court are final and cannot be challenged.
At least 16 opposition MPs who were members in the previous parliament announced their resignation from the house saying in a statement they "will not be honoured to sit in a parliament rejected by the people."
There has been no immediate reaction from the government.
Lawyer Yacoub al-Sane, who had filed one of several lawsuits on behalf of Ali al-Rashed, a pro-government member of the previous parliament, said the ruling was based on the fact the government which recommended the parliament's dissolution was "unconstitutional."
In early December, the emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, issued a decree dissolving parliament following youth-led street protests demanding reforms and the sacking of prime minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah.
Following the resignation of Sheikh Nasser in late November, the emir appointed Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah as new premier, but he "left the previous cabinet intact, which is illegal," Sane said.
A few days later, the emir issued another decree inviting Kuwaitis to elect a new parliament on February 2. Sane said it was the "illegal" cabinet which recommended to the emir to dissolve the previous parliament and to call for elections, thus rendering the procedures illegal.
The unprecedented ruling is expected to plunge the oil-rich Gulf state into a new political crisis. Kuwait was rocked by a series of political crises since 2006 during which eight cabinets resigned and the parliament was dissolved on four occasions. |
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Report: AFP
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