Court voids election in Kuwait

— Kuwait’s constitutional court further complicated the country’s chaotic situation Wednesday, ruling the parliament was elected unconstitutionally and restoring the previous legislature.

The state news agency KUNA said the court threw out the Feb. 2 vote because Kuwait’s leader, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, drew up the decree for the elections after the Cabinet resigned.

A caretaker Cabinet was appointed before the decree was issued, but the court ruled that was insufficient and voided the election.

Tensions have flared since the election gave the opposition control of the chamber. Islamists and their allies have pressured two ministers to resign. The opposition bloc insisted it deserved more than half the seats in the 15-member Cabinet because of the election.

The court’s decision canceling the vote sparked a furor on social networking sites and prompted about 400 to protest the decision outside parliament.

The peaceful protest went well beyond the court ruling, with protesters calling for laws allowing the formation of political parties, changes in voting laws and the replacing of Prime Minister Sheik Jaber Al Hamad Al Sabah with someone not linked to the royal family.

About 100 people held a counterdemonstration nearby, criticizing the dismissed lawmakers for spending too much time on morality issues, such as a dress code for women, rather than developing the country’s economy.

The decision to cancel the election came just days after the government suspended parliament sessions for a month over an escalating feud with Islamist-led opposition lawmakers seeking a greater voice in the Persian Gulf nation’s affairs.

Front Section, Pages 5 on 06/21/2012

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