KUWAIT: Around 360 hopefuls remain committed to the polls with just two days left for candidates to pull out of the election race. They do not include the 47 candidates barred by the election committee and some of whom have already been re-instated by courts. Former Islamist opposition MP Bader Al-Dahoum yesterday received a clearance from the Appeals Court to remain in the race after the court rejected a government objection against a ruling allowing him to run.

Former MP Safa Al-Hashem and new candidates Mane Al-Ajmi and Khaled Al-Mutairi were among those re-instated. Former Shiite MP Abdulhameed Dashti and Shiite lawyer Hani Hussein were among several candidates whose ban was supported by the court. The election campaign meanwhile heated up with opposition figures announcing they will not vote for Marzouk Al-Ghanem to become a speaker for a fresh term. Former Islamist MP Nayef Al-Merdas yesterday said he will vote for former opposition MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri as the next assembly speaker if they get elected.

By B Izzak, Agencies