(MENAFN - Arab Times) HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will inaugurate the 14th Legislative Term of the National Assembly on Dec 16, the first Assembly elected under the newly-decreed one-vote system.
Following the opening ceremony, the parliament secretariat election will take place as well as the election of parliament committees. Both liberal MP Ali Al-Rashed and Salafi MP Ali Al-Omair are contesting for the position of Speaker of Parliament.
Oldest MP Dr Saleh Al-Ateeqi confirmed on Friday that all preparations have been made to ensure the smooth process of the electronic-vote system.
Meanwhile, a number of MPs have stated they will submit prepared draft proposals on various issues concerning Kuwait's economy and development. On his part, conservative MP Askar Al-Enezi said he will submit a set of draft laws pertaining to loan defaults and children allowances.
Kuwaiti citizens voted in the second National Assembly elections of 2012 on Dec 1, electing their representatives to the 50-member house. Liberals, Shiites and conservatives won overwhelmingly, unlike the Sunni-Islamist and tribal affiliated elections last February. Three women succeeded in garnering parliament seats.
The 2009 Assembly, described as a pro-executive authority parliament, was dissolved in December 2011 after mass opposition-led protests. But, for the first time in Kuwait's legislative history, it was reinstated by the Constitutional Court in June 2012.
The court further scrapped the opposition-led 2012 Assembly after it was elected early this year. It annulled the decree inviting the National Assembly elections in February 2012 due to procedural errors that dissolved the 2009 parliament.
The 2009 Assembly, however, was re-dissolved in October and a decree of urgency was adopted to create a one-vote electoral system. The move was also met with objection from opposition forces who vowed to continue their movements to "topple the one-vote parliament".
