Manama: A Kuwaiti shaikh who had planned to run in the February parliamentary elections has reversed his decision, citing "national interests and family wishes."
Shaikh Mishaal Abdullah Al Jaber earlier this month said that he would be a candidate in the elections to choose a new parliament to replace the dissolved national assembly. However, his announcement sparked heated debates in the country.
Although the law in Kuwait does not ban members of the ruling family to contest in national elections, the tradition has been that they stay away from the parliament and its confrontations with the government
Shaikh Mishaal, who holds a degree in political science and business, said that he wanted through his candidacy to follow up several issues, including the environment, housing, tourism and the traffic crisis. He also wanted an end to "below-the-belt blows in the country's institutions, according to Kuwaiti media.
However, in a statement on Sunday, he said that he would not seek a seat in the 50-member parliament.
"As per the wishes of the family and the current situation in Kuwait, I have decided not to run in the elections for the parliament," Shaikh Mishaal said. "I am very keen on the reputation of my country and my family, and whatever I mentioned in the media in the last few days is merely my own point of view and interpretation. It was just my contribution to ideas and views to boost development in Kuwait. I will always be in the service of the country and fellow citizens under the leadership of the Emir, the crown prince and the family," he said.
