Kuwaiti candidates register for the upcoming parliamentary election in Kuwait City on October 19,2016.

Tabtabai among former Opposition MPs to enter fray

KUWAIT: A large number of the so-called assembly majority opposition, comprising the February 2012 assembly, yesterday decided to take part in the next month's parliamentary polls, officially breaking a four-year boycott.

Former opposition MP Waleed Al-Tabtabai said the decision was taken after a meeting of a large number of former opposition MPs. He said he will register to contest the polls today along with Osama Al-Shaheen, Mohammad Al-Dallal, Mohammad Hayef, Osama Al-Munawer, Bader Al-Dahoum and Nayef Al-Merdas, all members of the February 2012 assembly which was controlled by the opposition and was dissolved by the constitutional court for procedural flaws.

Tabtabai said that the decision was taken for the service and interest of the Kuwaiti people. More opposition figures are expected to join the fray, including former MP Jamaan Al-Harbash of the Islamic Constitutional Movement.

Almost all opposition groups boycotted the December 2012 and 2013 elections in protest against the government's unilateral change of the voting system. But they eventually decided to take part under the amended single-vote system saying that the political situations in the country have deteriorated.

Three former opposition MPs Ali Al-Deqbasi, AdelAl-Damkhi and Ammar Al-Ajmi have already registered as candidates even ahead of the decision. But former speaker and opposition leader Ahmad Al-Saadoun said he will not change his position and will not contest the election because nothing has changed and even if the opposition wins it will not be able to change.

In the meantime, 20 more candidates filed their nomination papers yesterday raising the number of candidates so far to 152 hopefuls. They included a woman and two members of the dissolved assembly.

By B Izzak