State news: Kuwait court annuls 2022 parliamentary election

A Kuwaiti court has annulled the upcoming 2022 parliamentary election due to a legal dispute, in a seismic blow to the country’s political stability.

The decision by the Constitutional Court was made on Monday, citing a lack of clarity over the process for determining the boundaries of electoral districts. The ruling has been met with widespread disbelief, with many questioning the implications for the future of Kuwait’s democratic system.

The electoral districts had been subject to a major overhaul in 2020, with the government of Prime Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah introducing a new system in an effort to reduce the number of candidates running in the election. Under the new system, the boundaries of these districts were to be determined by the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers, a move that was met with fierce criticism from opposition groups.

The court’s ruling appears to be a response to this controversy, with the judges declaring that the new system was unconstitutional. In their ruling, the court stated that the Council of Ministers had “committed a serious violation of the Constitution” in its attempt to determine the boundaries of electoral districts.

The impact of the ruling is already being felt, with the Kuwaiti government calling for the former electoral districts to be reinstated. It remains to be seen how the country’s political landscape will be impacted by the court’s decision.

The annulment of the 2022 parliamentary election is a significant setback for the Kuwaiti government, and could potentially destabilize the country’s fragile political system. The ruling will likely be a major source of contention for both the government and opposition groups in the coming months.