In a first, top court orders govt to reinstate citizenship of 3 families

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s court of cassation, whose verdicts are final, ordered the government in a landmark ruling on Thursday to return the citizenship of three families whose nationality was revoked. Kuwaiti courts normally refuse to look into cases involving citizenship disputes under the pretext that such issues are sovereign cases and should not be debated in courts. But the cassation court decided on Wednesday to rule on such cases and ordered the government to return the revoked citizenships, setting a precedent for courts to follow in the future.

Meanwhile, the court of first instance on Thursday fined 20 tribesmen KD 5,000 each for taking part in outlawed tribal primaries. Also, former MP Ahmad Al-Ahmad denied in a statement that he had pulled out of the election race, describing such reports as rumors aimed at weakening his chances of winning a seat. Hamad was elected to the Assembly for the first time in 2020, but he failed to win in the 2022 elections that were annulled by the constitutional court. This time he is bidding again to retain his seat.

Former MP Ali Al-Saeed said continued disputes between two groups in the National Assembly have frustrated the Kuwaiti people, who are suffering as a result. He said Kuwait is experiencing a highly polluted atmosphere and instability, adding he could run for the speaker’s post if he wins a seat in the June 6 parliamentary polls.

Member of the 2022 scrapped Assembly Saud Al-Asfour blamed the government for not implementing laws, adding the constitutional court law must be amended to prevent dissolving assemblies easily. Candidate Mohammad Jawhar Hayat said if he wins a seat, he plans to submit a draft resolution calling for comprehensive political reforms for the sake of achieving the aspirations of the people. He added the Kuwaiti people now understand that sectarianism, tribalism and racism will not resolve their problems.

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