KUWAIT: The Court of Appeals yesterday reopened the door for fresh defense arguments in the case of storming the National Assembly in which 70 activists are defendants. The defendants, who include 11 present and former lawmakers, are charged with storming the National Assembly building during protests in 2011. The lower court had acquitted all of them. MPs involved in the case include Jamaan Al-Harbash and Waleed Al-Tabtabai and former lawmakers include Mussallam Al-Barrak and others.

Judge Ibrahim Al-Obaid set the next hearing for July 5. The Constitutional Court meanwhile set September 20 to issue its verdict on the controversy that surrounded the election of the deputy Speaker. Two candidates contested the election and Issa Al-Kundari emerged the winner after a re-vote. In the first vote, MP Harbash came ahead with one vote but did not secure the absolute majority needed for him to win.

So, a re-voting was called and Kundari was declared the winner. The loser candidate MP Harbash challenged the result and said that he should have been declared the winner in the first vote. The controversy was reviewed by the legal and legislative committee which recommended that it be sent to the Constitutional Court whose rulings are final.

By B Izzak