Cairo: Kuwaiti authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a contender in this month’s parliamentary election over suspected vote buying, a Kuwaiti newspaper has reported.
The warrant was issued after police Friday raided the candidate’s electoral headquarters where a number of vote-buying suspects were arrested, Al Rai added, citing security sources.
The candidate, whose name was not revealed, was not in the place at the time of the raid, they added.
“After an inquiry with the accused, a decision was taken to arrest the candidate,” the sources said.
Police had raided the place located in the second constituency upon a tip-off on illegal vote buying, a security source said.
Seven arrested, cash voter lists seized
Seven persons were arrested and KD20,000 as well as voter lists were seized during the raid, according to the source.
Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said police had raided a house suspected of being run for vote buying. An unspecified number of people involved in vote buying were arrested and sums of money, prepared for distribution, were seized, the ministry said.
“They were referred for investigations,” it added without further details.
The ministry said it would stand firm against any attempt to “distort the election process” and vowed zero tolerance against violators.
Earlier this month, Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jarida reported that six people, including three women, were arrested in a house for suspected vote buying ahead of the country’s parliamentary election scheduled for September 29,
The suspects were arrested by the state security police in Kuwait City, accused of involvement in vote buying to the benefit of a parliamentary candidate in the first constituency, the report added.
Last month, Kuwait formally dissolved parliament and installed a new government until the new election is held.
In June, Kuwaiti Crown Prince Meshal Al Ahmad announced the parliament’s dissolution and called for an early election.
The new government headed by Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al Ahmad took office last month.
The previous government resigned in April after more than half members of the 50-strong parliament backed a no-cooperation motion against it.
Kuwait is composed of five electoral constituencies, each allowed to pick 10 of the National Assembly’s 50 members.
