Manama: In a landmark judgement, Kuwait’s highest court on Sunday ruled to dissolve the parliament elected in December.
However, in the ruling expected to have wide-reaching implications over the political landscape in the northern Arabian Gulf state, the Constitutional Court upheld the decree amending the 2006 electoral law that slashed the number of candidates a voter could elect to parliament from four to one.
The opposition had pushed for an annulment of the Emiri decree issued in October ahead of the December 1 parliamentary elections.
For the opposition, there was no need for the decree and the Emir should have waited until a parliament was elected and its members voted on the proposed amendment.
For the opposition, mainly tribesmen and Islamists who carried the majority of the seats in the February 2012 elections, the four-ballot possibility meant greater chances for them to reach the parliament through alliances and agreements. The “one voter, one vote” principle would be much more favourable to the government and its supporters.
During the bitter standoff between the government and the opposition in the run-up to the elections, the government held firm and did not waiver, stressing that it was confident about its decision to amend the electoral law.
Boycott calls in November failed to mobilise the population against the elections and the turnout was exceptionally high, leaving the opposition to lick its wounds and to deal with the fissures that started to appear at the seams of the alliance between liberals and Islamists.
The post-election threats to enlist the support of international organisations against the decree and the new parliament backfired and the opposition had to recoil and think of more patriotic options, including taking the case to the country’s top court.
On Sunday, the court maintained the decree, making the “one voter, one vote” a reality that the current generation of Kuwaiti men and women have to accept.
Constitutional experts and lawyers rushed to scrutinise the ruling and see if they can interpret it to their advantage.
The cabinet held an emergency meeting to look into the details and the measures that could be taken.
“We are proud with the commitment of the court to justice and we hail the honesty of our judges,” the cabinet said. “The constitution remains the ultimate judge on all legal interpretations and differences. The cabinet has tasked the competent parties to look into the ruling and follow up on the measures to be taken to implement it,” the cabinet said a few hours after the court pronounced its much-anticipated verdict.
The National Action Bloc said that it respected the ruling by the Constitutional Court in upholding the “one voter, one vote” decree.
“We remain committed to the constitution and to the law in the state of institutions that has given the Constitutional Court the right to decide in cases of divergences. We urge everybody to respect the constitution and the justice system. We totally reject taking to the streets and undermine public security,” the bloc said in a statement.
Outgoing parliament Speaker Ali Al Rashed said that he looked forward to the national elections. “May God be with us,” he said. “The most important thing is the stability of Kuwait. We will be all gone at a certain stage, but Kuwait shall remain.”
For the man who was Speaker between December and June, the advisors are to blame for the situation. “They are the ones who have pushed the decision makers into this situation,” he said.
Former MP Salman Al Dabboos said that all the political formations had to accept the court’s ruling. However, he singled out the decision to dissolve the parliament.
“This is a historic moment in the political life of Kuwait and everybody should accept it. I hope that the ruling will contribute to marking the start of new democratic practices in Kuwait and the end of the tension that hit the country for some time. It is fine to have divergent views as long as there is the constitution to act as the arbitrator.”
Kuwaiti media said that the Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad would address the nation on Sunday evening over the ruling.
