(MENAFN- Arab Times) KUWAIT CITY July 14 (Agencies): Kuwait ordered its interior ministry Monday to review citizenship of people who threaten national security and vowed an 'iron fist' policy in a crackdown on dissent following violent protests.Riot police earlier this month clashed with demonstrators protesting over the arrest and detention of prominent opposition leader Mussallam al-Barrak for allegedly insulting the judiciary.
Several people were hurt and about 50 others arrested most of whom have already been bailed out. In a string of decisions against 'acts of riots and violence' the cabinet ordered the interior ministry to start screening citizenship of people 'who undermine the country's security and stability'. It also warned of penalties for non-profit organisations which involve themselves in politics. The cabinet in a statement asked 'the interior ministry to take all necessary measures to ensure that terms and conditions for citizenship and national belonging contained in the nationality law are fully met particularly with regards to practises undermining security and stability'.It also called on the ministry to stop NGOs from instigating unrest.The cabinet pledged 'an iron fist policy and a decisive and firm confrontation with whatever could undermine the state its institutions and constitution.' Furthermore local mass media should live up to responsibility through the promotion of public awareness the denunciation of all manifestations of chaos and riot and advocacy of the freedom of expression in a peaceful manner and through legally available channels. Finally the cabinet voiced confidence that the Kuwaiti people are capable of embodying the national unity and standing united as one in face of anything that could jeopardize the nation's security and stability. Barrak was detained for six days for allegedly criticising the judiciary at a public rally last month. At the rally Barrak also alleged that former senior officials including ruling family members had stolen tens of billions of dollars from public funds and accused them of money-laundering. Those allegations were made in a lawsuit filed last month by Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Sabah a senior ruling family member and former energy minister. Sheikh Ahmad was himself questioned as a witness. The new developments plunged the country into a new political crisis following months of relative calm. Since mid-2006 the Gulf state was rocked by a series of political crises leading to parliament being dissolved six times. Most opposition groups are not represented in parliament after boycotting a July 2013 election in protest at an amended Kuwaiti electoral law.
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