YT journalist comments on Kuwaiti elections:Will Peninsula make use of Kuwaiti elections [Archives:2003/650/Local News]

The Yemeni press delegation concluded a several-day visit to the state of Kuwait.
The Yemen Times representative during the Kuwaiti elections, Hassan al-Zaidi expressed his appreciation of a strong healthy competitions among candidates and that Kuwait if compared to any gulf states have showed a keen adherence and a limitless desire to democratic practice.
Journalists during their visit to Kuwait have conveyed a noble message on the process of the Kuwaiti elections particularly with regard to bringing a true image of the democratic experience in Kuwait and that election processes has been run in a very healthy competition atmosphere.
“The Kuwaiti elections have positively expressed a true image of the Kuwaitis and their culture,” al-Zaidi said.
“I think that the Kuwaitis have nominated their representatives in an accurate and honest way,” he noted.
He further pointed out that the Kuwaiti elections have been lacking women's participation. This problem has been raised by the opposition along with buying votes which has not been yet confirmed.
“The democratic experience in the state of Kuwait has been run fairly and that the security committees have never trifled with polling boxes.
“Counting votes along with other security procedures have been successfully completed. We as Yemenis have to make use of the democratic experience in the state of Kuwait,” al-Zaidi commented.
What is needed is to enlarge the political participation at grass root level.
The number of the Kuwaiti registrants have reached only 1367156.
In order to run 50 parliamentary seats, only 246 have contested for the elections in 25 election constituencies.
“What is needed is to reconsider the election constituencies divisions and to increase the political participation at grass root level.
As for elections, the Yemen Times representative in the Kuwaiti elections, al-
Zaidi said that a number parliamentarians and great politicians failed in 7 July elections.
The liberal movement represented by the former deputy and the chairman of the Democratic Institute, Abdullah Naibari and Dr. Ahmed Araee, were among the Kuwaiti election losers.
Only two candidates out of 13 affiliated to Islamic Brothers Movement have won in elections. A number of independent Islamists and tribe candidates also failed in 2003 elections including Mubarak al-Duwaila and Khaled al-Udah and others.
The constitutional movement has won two parliamentary seats. During the previous elections, they won four seats. Independent People's Bloc Movement has maintained stability of its parliamentary seats.
The number of the independent Islamic candidates has increased. The Shiite movement has maintained its position despite of changes in its previous candidates.
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