National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim announced on Wednesday the parliament's approval on the vacancy of the two convicted MPs Jamaan al-Harbash and Waleed al-Tabtabai's seats.
Ghanim said during an ordinary session of the parliament that the decision has been made according to article 50 of the electoral law, and article 18 of the assembly's bylaw. The ruling entails that if a lawmaker fails to fulfill any of the parliamentary membership conditions, his membership is canceled automatically as per Article 82 of the Constitution, he added.
The decision was made after the Constitutional Court overruled the constitutionality of article 16 of the assembly bylaw issued under law number 12/1963. This makes it compulsory to cancel the membership of the two MPs convicted with final judicial sentences.
The decision was rejected by 18 members while 58 others voted in favor.
In a discussion session in October, the Kuwaiti parliament rejected to cancel their membership. After that, the Constitutional Court considered article 16 void, knowing that this article grants the parliament the right to cancel the membership of a deputy if he fails to meet membership conditions.
The cassation court issued on July its sentences against Harbash and Tabtabai among other convicted individuals– they were handed 3.5 years in prison. Following the sentence, they both left the country.
