Kuwait appeals to voters amid boycott calls

The Kuwaiti government on Thursday launched a media campaign to convince voters to cast their ballot in the Dec.1 poll in a bid to counter opposition calls for a boycott over a disputed law. The campaign comes as the opposition, comprising Islamics, nationalists and liberals, steps up a campaign of its own to convince voters to shun the election in protest at an amendment of the electoral law. Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah on Wednesday urged the public to be “positive” and cast their votes to elect the best candidates. “Why remain negative and instigate people to boycott the election?” asked the ruler in a speech to a number of academics. “Be positive and take part in the election process,” to elect competent representatives, said the emir who called for “chaos and violence” to be avoided. State-run television and radio stations started on Thursday broadcasting advertisements urging Kuwaitis to cast their votes, explaining the negative consequences of the boycott on the future of the country. The emir says the amendment is within his constitutional rights and necessary to safeguard national unity and security of the emirate. The opposition however claims it breaches the constitution and allows the government to influence the outcome of the results and elect a rubber stamp parliament. Under the previous law, Kuwaitis were able to vote for four of 10 MPs elected in each of the five constituencies, but that has now been reduced to only one. Opponents of the change claim that the reduction will encourage vote-buying and other corrupt practices since the number of votes needed to win a seat will be much lower than in previous polls. They have been holding daily gatherings to explain the reasons for their boycott call and has mobilised the so-called Popular Committee for Boycotting Election. “We visit homes and urge people to boycott and ask them to convince others ... We have had excellent response so far,” Abdullah Al Shallahi, a coordinator for the opposition committee’s branch in the fourth constituency, said.