Kuwait’s ruler, Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has tasked the parliament speaker, the prime minister and the head of the supreme judicial council to recommend the conditions and terms for an amnesty to pardon dissidents ahead of it being issued by decree, announced Kuwaiti Minister of Emiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Muhammad Al-Abdullah.
Kuwait’s National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al Ghanim confirmed that Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah had instructed the heads of the three authorities in the Gulf state to propose controls and conditions for pardoning some Kuwaitis convicted of cases during past periods in preparation for the issuance of the expected amnesty decree.
This comes at a time Kuwaitis are awaiting the issuance of an Emiri decree pardoning the leaders of the parliamentary opposition residing abroad and some activists and writers, especially those accused in the case of storming the National Assembly in 2011.
Kuwait’s ruler took note of the appeal by around 40 parliament members who reaffirmed keenness on cooperation and political stability, and in line with what advisors conveyed to him, the Emir decided to use this constitutional right in line with Article 75.
It is noteworthy that former opposition MPs who are currently in Turkey were sentenced to prison terms in the case of storming the National Assembly in 2011. The file of amnesty for these MPs, led by Musallam al-Barrak, Faisal al-Muslim, and Jamaan al-Harbash, represents the main point of the dialogue between the government and the opposition.
For his part, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah said that a national dialogue between the legislative and executive authorities began upon instructions of the Emir and in a drive to achieve political stability and cooperation between the two authorities in line with Article 50 of the Constitution which separates but urges cooperation among authorities.
