Obaid Al-Wasmi

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Former MP and leading opposition figure Obaid Al-Wasmi yesterday filed his papers to contest the by-election for a seat in the fifth constituency, which fell vacant after the constitutional court nullified the election of opposition MP Bader Al-Dahoum. Wasmi's move will certainly make the fight for the parliamentary seat very interesting, as the opposition bids to reclaim its lost seat.

Wasmi, a professor of law who was elected to the National Assembly in Feb 2012 before the court scrapped the election four months later, held a series of meetings with opposition figures like former Assembly speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun before taking his decision.

Before he filed his papers, Wasmi visited Dahoum and the two paid a visit to Awazem tribal chief Falah bin Jame to secure his support for Wasmi. The Awazem are the largest tribe in the constituency. The tribal chief had announced the tribe will boycott the by-election in protest against the nullification of the membership of Dahoum, a member of the tribe.

Opposition lawmakers hailed the move by Wasmi, who is expected to become a leader of the opposition in the National Assembly amid an ongoing political dispute with the government and the Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem. Registration of candidates for the by-election closed yesterday and polls will be held on May 22.