Jarba: Empty Syria seat strengthens Assad

Kuwait City – The head of the Syrian National Coalition, Ahmad al-Jarba, has criticised an Arab League decision barring the opposition from filling his country's seat at the bloc's summit. Speaking at the Arab League summit on Tuesday, he said the decision undermines the rebels' position in the three-year Syrian conflict. The SNC, which was initially approved to replace the government of President Bashar al-Assad as the representative of Syria in the 22-member bloc, was denied that right after reservations from Lebanon, Iraq and Algeria. "Let me say, quite frankly, that keeping Syria's seat empty in your midst sends a clear message to Assad that he can kill, and that the seat will wait for him to resolve his war," Jarba said as he addressed Arab leaders and officials. Syria has been embroiled in a civil war that has killed at least 130,000 people and left millions displaced. Violence erupted in March 2011 when peaceful protests demanding the end of Assad's rule were met by a brutal crackdown. "I do not ask you for a declaration of war, but I ask you that you support our cause and find a solution guaranteeing the interests of our people and our country," Jarba said. He renewed his call for Arab leaders to exert pressure on the international community "to commit to its pledges to provide sophisticated weapons to our revolutionaries" and increase humanitarian support. Low expectations However, the possibility of a concrete outcome at this summit is slim as pressing topics on the agenda, including Syria, Palestine and others are being overshadowed by unprecedented rifts among the Arab League members. Referring to these disagreements, Jarba said: "[The battle against Assad] is our common battle, and I know that disagreements between brothers fade when homes are violated; your homes, dignity and lives in Syria are violated." Syrian opposition spokesman Louay Safi told Al Jazeera that there were some "reassuring " talks of a possible emergency meeting to take place between Arab foreign ministers to discuss Syria's vacant chair. He called for arming the rebels since he said a political solution was impossible to reach, citing the lack of seriousness on the part of the Assad regime. "The least that can be done is to arm Syrian villages with anti-aircraft missiles to deter barrel bombs used by the regime," he said. Asked whether this could happen as an outcome of the summit, Safi said it was an international decision but Arab countries could help by exerting necessary pressure.

Source: Al Jazeera

Kuwaiti parliament backs law to privatise airline

Kuwait's parliament approved an amended draft law on Wednesday paving the way for the long-overdue privatisation of Kuwait Airways, state-run news agency KUNA reported.

Parliament first backed privatising loss-making Kuwait Airways Corp KAC.L in 2008 but the process has been repeatedly held up by the global economic crisis, political turmoil and a restructuring at the airline.

 

Under the draft law, the carrier will change its name to Kuwait Airways Company and own all assets and property of KAC, except for outstanding payments from the Iraqi government and Iraqi Airways, KUNA said.

 

Iraq and Kuwait agreed last year that Baghdad will pay $500 million in compensation for Gulf War-era debts. The cash will go to the state treasury, not KAC, the report said.

 

The Kuwaiti carrier faces challenges such as high labour costs, an aging fleet and tough competition from other Gulf airlines, Communications Minister Salem al-Athaina said, according to KUNA. He did not give a timeline for the privatisation process.

 

Under a plan approved by the cabinet in April the government will offer a 35 per cent stake to companies listed in Kuwait and to "specialised" local or international firms within three years.

 

The government would retain 20 per cent with 5 per cent to be distributed to KAC employees.

 

The remaining 40 per cent would be allotted in the same way to citizens registered with the Public Authority for Civil Information, the Kuwaiti body that issues civil identity cards.

KUWAIT'S RIFTS HIGHLIGHTED BY ELECTION BOYCOTT

KUWAIT CITY (AP) -- Kuwait's deep political rifts took center stage in parliamentary elections Saturday as backers of the ruling establishment cast ballots while a broad opposition alliance staged a boycott and vowed to reject the outcome.

The voting capped months of political upheavals and showdowns in the oil-rich Gulf state - a strategic Western ally - and the polarized atmosphere suggested more tensions ahead.

Kuwait has the Gulf's most politically powerful parliament and the election is certain to restore control to pro-government lawmakers. Yet that doesn't guarantee any extra breathing space for the ruling system amid claims it is overstepping its powers.

A wide-reaching coalition of opposition factions - ranging from hardline Islamists to Western-leaning liberals - already has challenged the legitimacy of the new parliament because of the boycott and could increasingly take their grievances to the streets.

Kuwait has largely escaped the unrest sweeping the region, and any potential for greater unrest is closely watched by Washington, which has thousands of U.S. ground forces in Kuwait as part of the Pentagon's military counterweight to Iran in the Persian Gulf.

Islamists and tribal allies won control of the 50-seat parliament in February elections, but the chamber was later dissolved over a legal challenge by the ruling establishment over electoral districts. Kuwait has been left without an effective working parliament for more than five months.

Complaints against authorities include increasing efforts to muzzle free speech and failure to have Kuwait's economy and growth keep pace with other dynamic Gulf centers such as Qatar's capital Doha and the United Arab Emirates' hubs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Last month, four people were arrested on charges of insulting Kuwait's emir in Twitter posts.

Security forces watched over polling stations across Kuwait, but no disturbances were reported and the full 12-hour voting period was held. The voting sites vividly displayed the country's divides with pro-government areas showing steady turnout, but areas loyal to the opposition were almost deserted. Boycott backers tied pieces of orange ribbon - the adopted color of the opposition - around tree branches near some polling sites.

Some opposition groups predicted turnout could be well below 50 percent, compared with near 60 percent for the last parliamentary elections in February that were won by Islamists and their allies.

"I'm certain that the boycott will have an effect on the turnout," said Information Minister Mohammad al-Abdullah Al Sabah, a member of the ruling family.

He appealed, however, for the opposition to confine their objections within the country's "legal framework."

The anti-government groups have bitterly denounced a decree in October by Kuwait's emir to end an unusual balloting system that allowed four choices per voter.

Critics claim the new one-vote-per-person rule will make it easier for state authorities to potentially influence the outcome. They also say the emir went beyond his authority by changing the voting rules without public debate.

On the eve of the election, more than 15,000 people joined a peaceful pro-boycott march in the first rally permitted by authorities since a ruling last month banning gatherings of more than 20 people.

Kuwait's parliament has the most powers of any among the Gulf Arab states. Opposition lawmakers have often fired off accusations of corruption and abuses against government officials, including the prime minister and other members of the ruling family.

The country also has some of the widest political and media freedoms in the region, but key government posts and policies remain under the control of the ruling family.

Yet Islamists and their backers also worry many Kuwaitis for open support of stricter Muslim codes such as censoring artists and imposing death sentences for those convicted of denigrating Islam.

The concerns about the rising clout of Islamists also reflects wider battles across the Gulf as authorities crack down on groups suspected of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which has taken control of Egypt following elections in the past year. Gulf leaders view activists inspired by the Arab Spring as potential threats, but Kuwait's Islamist leaders claim they are a homegrown force that only seeks a greater say in the country's affairs.

A 29-year-old voter, Ali Boushehri, said he was frustrated with both sides.

"I hold the government accountable for many of our shortcomings in Kuwait, and that is why I am voting," he said. "I don't agree with the opposition. Boycotting is not a good thing to do ... I want to vote because I believe in democracy."

A businessman, Khaled al-Qahtani, 38, decided to join the boycott even though he also has misgivings about Islamists. Many liberals have joined the unusual alliance of convenience with Islamists over their shared anger against the ruling system, but remain far apart on ideology.

Islamists and their backers "aren't to be trusted with the future of Kuwait, so I don't support them," said al-Qahtani. "Although, sadly, the government lost the support of many others by failing the people repeatedly."

The region's popular uprisings have not spilled over to Kuwait in a major way as in nearby Bahrain, and it remains unlikely opposition groups would wage an all-out challenge to the current system and risk losing the generous cradle-to-grave benefits provided by the state.

But clashes last month between protesters and security forces displayed the potential for violence to escalate.

Kuwait also was hit by a wave of labor unrest and strikes earlier this year, including walkouts that grounded the state carrier, Kuwait Airways, and temporarily closed customs posts and left several hundred trucks stranded at the border.

Calls for better working conditions have grown louder in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings. Kuwaitis are used to well-paid government jobs and benefits that increasingly have become a burden on state finances despite the country's huge oil wealth.

Kuwait to allow protest march on eve of election: PM

Authorities will allow a protest march to go ahead the day before the Dec. 1 parliamentary election in Kuwait, the Gulf Arab state’s prime minister said in a move designed to ease tensions ahead of the poll.

Thousands of people have staged regular demonstrations since late October against a decree issued by Kuwait’s ruler, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, which reduced the number of votes allowed per citizen to one from four.

The opposition movement, which includes youth groups and former members of parliament, has called for a boycott of the election in the U.S.-allied major oil producer over the changes.

They say the amendments are an attempt to skew the elections in favor of pro-government candidates. Protesters say they seek reform, not an Arab Spring-style revolution like those that have ousted several Arab rulers since early last year.

The emir says the voting system is flawed and that the changes are constitutional and needed for the sake of Kuwait’s “security and stability.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah said “the organizers got a license from the concerned security services, so the government had nothing against the march,” state news agency KUNA reported late on Monday.

Kuwait allows the most dissent among the Gulf Arab states and its citizens often hold rallies in a designated area outside parliament.

But recent unlicensed protest marches in the streets beyond have been broken up by police using teargas and smoke bombs.

Authorities are keen to prevent the kind of unrest Kuwait experienced on Oct. 21, when thousands of demonstrators attempted to reach government headquarters in the largest protest march and were dispersed by police. At least 29 people were injured during that march, according to a medical source.

Corruption, stalled development

Under the new rules, each voter chooses only one candidate instead of four, a move the parliamentary opposition says will prevent its candidates winning the majority they had in the last election.

They say the four-vote system better enabled candidates to form political allegiances during the election campaign by recommending supporters cast additional ballots for their allies. Such allegiances are important because Kuwait bans political parties, opposition politicians say.

Apart from protesting against the new voting rules, activists have rallied against wider issues such as corruption, the accountability of government ministers and elected officials as well as a lack of infrastructure development.

A long-running row between the government and parliament has stalled implementation of major parts of a 30 billion dinar ($107 billion) development plan, including large infrastructure projects.

The Dec. 1 poll will be the fifth since mid-2006.

“The coming government will include decision makers and bold politicians to scale up the combat against corruption,” Sheikh Jaber said, according to KUNA.

“The coming stage will see a quantum leap in economic development and the stage set for implementing mega projects, some of which have already been approved,” he said.

The 50-member parliament has legislative powers and the right to summon ministers for questioning. But the emir has the final say in state affairs and can veto laws and dissolve the assembly.

Opposition MPs - whose demands have included an elected cabinet including the prime minister, with at least some top posts held by people other than relatives of the emir - held some 35 seats in the 50-seat parliament elected in Feb. 2012.

The opposition bloc put pressure on government ministers, leading to the resignation of two. The parliament was dissolved by a court ruling in June.

Sheikh Jaber said the last parliament “failed to encourage the government to adopt positive steps ... contrary to the spirit of the constitution which favors cooperation between the legislative and executive authorities,” KUNA reported.

Kuwait opposition vows to defy ban on rally

The Kuwaiti opposition says it will go ahead with a demonstration in defiance of a government ban but has urged supporters not to resort to violence. The opposition, made up of Islamists, nationalists and liberals, won a general election in February but the constitutional court quashed the vote in June and reinstated the previous pro-government parliament. Opposition leaders insist they have no desire to undermine the Al-Sabah ruling family and on Friday pledged their loyalty to the emir while renewing their demand for the new electoral law to be repealed. "We will remain peaceful whatever the cost," the organisers of the protest said on their Twitter account on Sunday. "The peaceful march is a duty, a pledge and a commitment." The government has threatened to use force if necessary to prevent the march and may call in the army to stop the opposition  protest, Al-Anbaa newspaper reported on Saturday. "The interior ministry will use all means necessary to prevent illegal processions," Al-Anbaa quoted a security source as saying on Saturday. "The army and national guard may be called in if needed to deal with any breach of public order." In a statement late on Saturday the government said that the interior ministry did not issue a permit for Sunday's demonstration and that it has not received any application from organisers requesting to stage a protest. The government also urged citizens to abide by the law and security forces have been placed on high alert ahead of the march which is due to begin at 8pm local time (17:00 GMT). Security forces used tear gas to disperse two protests by tens of thousands of demonstrators in the past two weeks in which more than 130 protesters and 16 policemen were injured. The opposition called Sunday's march in Kuwait City to protest against an amendment to the electoral law ordered by Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Kuwait emir, last month before a snap December 1 parliamentary election. Almost all opposition groups have said they will boycott the poll in protest over what they see as a bid to create a rubber stamp assembly. Leading opposition figure Mussallam al-Barrak told supporters late Saturday night "to handover to police those who resort to violence."

Kuwait opposition vows more protests

The Kuwaiti opposition said Monday it will push ahead with protests until the government meets its demands for reform, a day after 100 demonstrators were hurt in confrontations with police.

“Despite the government’s oppressive measures, we affirm that we will continue with the protest campaign... and we will announce new actions soon,” the opposition said in a statement after holding an emergency meeting.

On Sunday riot police used rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades and beat up hundreds of protesters in a bid to disperse what the opposition described as the largest demonstration in Kuwait’s history.

More than 100 protesters and 11 police were hurt in the unprecedented clashes in this oil-rich Gulf state. Around 70 activists were arrested, according to defense lawyer Mohammad al-Subaie.

The opposition said more than 100,000 people took part in the protest.

The opposition charged that “foreign personnel were part of the riot police” who clashed with protesters. The statement did not elaborate, but an opposition source said they were members of a foreign community in Kuwait.

The statement said the opposition was ready to wage a “long battle” for reforms, adding however that none of it is directed at the ruling family.

But the “popular protests are not directed against the Al-Sabah family,” which has ruled for more than 250 years unchallenged, the statement said.

“The demands of the Kuwaiti people are not confined to abolishing the (amendment of the electoral law) decree... but also include achieving political reforms that transform Kuwait into a democratic parliamentary state,” it added.

The new political crisis in the oil-rich emirate was sparked by a decision by the ruler to amend the electoral constituency law which the opposition says is aimed at electing a rubber-stamp parliament.

The opposition announced it will boycott snap parliamentary polls slated for December 1.

The trial of three former opposition MPs will meanwhile start Tuesday over the charge of publicly undermining the status of the emir. The men have been in police custody since Thursday.

The opposition also announced a small gathering outside parliament in Kuwait City in solidarity with the ex-MPs.

Kuwaiti emir asks outgoing premier to form cabinet

The ruler of the Gulf state of Kuwait on reappointed asked outgoing Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah to form a new cabinet in a move which hopes to ease political deadlock, the official KUNA news agency reported citing a decree.

Sheikh Jaber, a senior member of the ruling al-Sabah family, resigned last week days after the constitutional court nullified February legislative polls, scrapping the opposition-controlled parliament.

The court also reinstated the previous pro-government parliament which was dissolved last December following youth-led protests over allegations of two major corruption scandals involving former MPs and officials.

The unprecedented court ruling sparked protests by thousands of Kuwaitis who called for a constitutional monarchy and a full parliamentary system.

The new cabinet is expected to recommend to Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to dissolve the reinstated parliament and call for fresh polls in an attempt to resolve the political crisis.

The outgoing cabinet was formed just over four months ago after February’s parliamentary election, which saw the Islamist-led opposition score an impressive victory and secure a majority.

It was the ninth cabinet to resign in Kuwait since February 2006. Two of the cabinet’s 16 ministers had been forced to quit under pressure from MPs, while a third minister resigned.

Sheikh Jaber, 69, had replaced Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, another senior member of the ruling family, who stepped down in November following street protests over corruption allegations.

Kuwait, OPEC’s fourth largest crude producer, has been rocked by a series of political crises over the past six years, which have seen nine cabinets resign and parliament dissolved five times.

The emirate, which says it sits on around 10 percent of global oil reserves, pumps around three million barrels per day of oil. It has a native population of 1.2 million in addition to 2.5 million foreign residents.

Striking workers ground Kuwait Airways flights

KUWAIT CITY (AP) -- Kuwait Airways, the Gulf state's national carrier, extended flight cancellations across its route network into a second day Sunday as it scrambled to cope with a strike by workers.

The action by Kuwait Airways employees follows a work stoppage by customs officials that began last week and is blocking food items from entering the country. Workers are demanding higher pay and other benefits.

Kuwaitis are used to well-paying government jobs and a cradle-to-grave social security system that is increasingly becoming a burden on the state. Calls for better working terms have grown louder as the past year's Arab Spring uprisings reverberated across the region.

Kuwait Airways grounded its flights starting Saturday evening and extending into Sunday, according to airline spokesman Adel Boresly.

They affect incoming and outgoing flights on nearly two dozen routes including to regional hubs Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Doha, Qatar, and Western destinations such as New York and Frankfurt, Germany. It is unclear when flights will resume.

"We are evaluating the situation (until) the strike is off," Boresly said.

Meanwhile, store shelves at some supermarkets are running empty as striking customs workers, who began walking off the job Tuesday, refuse to allow hundreds of trucks to cross the border.

That is prompting merchants to hike prices, with the cost of some goods such as dairy products, detergents and diapers rising significantly.

Oil exports do not appear to be affected by the customs strike.

Marzouq Awwad, secretary of the customs workers' union, vowed to continue the job walkoff until its members' demands are met. He said workers have allowed 97 trucks carrying perishable items such as fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products to cross the border since the strike began.

"The union is not at war with the citizens, and is only on strike until the government and union reach an agreement," he said.

Power plant employees and university professors are also threatening to walk off the job unless they too get increased pay and retirement benefits.

Members of Kuwait's Cabinet are in talks with labor leaders to try to resolve the dispute. Finance Minister Mustafa al-Shamali has repeatedly said the country's budget is strained, and cannot afford the pay increases of as much as 40 percent that unions are calling for.

Thousands of customs workers and other civil servants launched a similar wave of labor unrest in September and October that temporarily disrupted shipping traffic and threatened the country's vital oil exports. Like in the latest strike, they were joined by Kuwait Airways workers.

Kuwait is OPEC's fourth largest oil exporter, and it relies on revenue from crude sales to cover the bulk of its budget.

Kuwaiti authorities have faced sporadic protests in recent months, though they have not been as big as the major pro-reform demonstrations seen elsewhere in the Arab World.

The small nation's parliament has the most powers of any elected body in the Gulf, and opposition lawmakers openly criticize the ruling family.

In January last year, Kuwait's emir, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, ordered 1,000 dinar ($3,559) grants and free food coupons for every Kuwaiti. Neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar followed with handouts of their own as they sought to dampen calls for political reform.

Clashes in Kuwait before parliamentary vote

More than 20 people were wounded when Kuwaiti riot police clashed with tribesmen who stormed a local television station in a second day of violence before parliamentary elections, witnesses said.

The incident took place late on Tuesday at the offices of the privately-owned Al-Watan satellite channel which was hosting Nabeel al-Fadl, a pro-government candidate in Thursday's vote to determine Kuwait's 50-seat parliament.

Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd that started throwing stones, wounding around 20 security men and four reporters, a witness told AFP.

Some of the angry crowd managed to enter the offices and damaged some furniture and equipment, but all staff members escaped unhurt. They later attacked a nearby fire station, the witness added.

Around 15 tribesmen were arrested during the clashes.

The incident came a day after angry tribesmen burned down the election tent of Mohammed al-Juwaihel, a controversial pro-government candidate and ally of Fadl, over remarks deemed offensive to the Mutairi tribe, the second largest Bedouin clan in Kuwait.

Al-Juwaihel has alleged that many tribes are not "true Kuwaitis" because of ancestral roots in Saudi Arabia that allow them to obtain dual citizenship and gain access to generous welfare systems in both countries.

Opposition tribal candidates held a massive rally to condemn Juwaihel's remarks and to ask the government to take legal action against him.

"We tell the (ruling) family that we are partners in governance and public funds and we are free people," Mussallam al-Barrak, a leading opposition candidate, told a crowd of over 20,000 who listened to him under heavy rain.

Kuwait's royal court, many election candidates and a large number of political groups on Tuesday strongly criticised the Juwaihel incident as well as the tribesmen's response.

The royal court warned in a statement that the incident risked "fuelling divisions in society," and called on Kuwaitis to steer clear of anything that could negatively affect the elections.

Veteran opposition figure Ahmad al-Saadun charged that anti-democracy elements were trying to discredit elections in which the opposition is tipped to win.

"This time we are before an abnormal struggle ... Parties that will not come back (to parliament) will not remain silent ... They want to sabotage the election," Saadun told an election rally on Tuesday night.

The liberal National Democratic Alliance described Juwaihel and his associates as "puppets and destructive tools being moved by certain quarters in the regime."

Oil-rich Kuwait has been hit by a series of political crises over the past six years leading to the resignation of seven governments and the dissolving of parliament on four occasions.

Kuwait questions ex-MPs over corruption charge: media

Kuwait prosecutors have questioned two former MPs over money laundering charges after millions of dollars were allegedly deposited in their bank accounts, local media reported Tuesday.

Kuwait’s al-Jarida newspaper, one of four local papers to report on the interrogations, said former pro-government lawmakers Mukhled al-Azemi and Hussein al-Huraiti were interrogated late Monday on the source of the funds.

They were later released on $18,000 bail each.

The two are the first of around 15 members in the dissolved 50-seat parliament to be questioned on the alleged illegal account deposits that in total amount to some $350 million.

More former MPs were expected to be interrogated in the next few days as the Gulf state prepares for its fourth general polls in less than six years.

The case has rocked the oil-rich emirate’s political establishment and led to the resignation of the government and dissolution of parliament.

According to al-Jarida, Huraiti, a former justice minister and judge, denied the charges during the interrogation and claimed he acquired the money through his law firm.

In September, the public prosecutor launched a probe after several local banks reported the deposit of millions of dollars into the bank accounts of around 15 former lawmakers.

The central bank’s financial intelligence unit later confirmed to the public prosecution that the bank accounts of the ex-MPs had in fact received large cash deposits.

Kuwait’s opposition claims that the money was paid to the ex-legislators in return for their support in crucial parliamentary votes, including motions of no-confidence against the former premier and his ministers.