KUWAIT: Investigations continued Tuesday on illegal primaries held in the second electoral district, where 10 people were arrested including officers and a Saudi citizen, as total charges reached 25. "The prosecution is now holding nine Kuwaiti nationals including the head of a committee that organized the illegal election in the second district," sources told Kuwait Times

As for the 10 newly accused persons, it is reported their names were on the CID investigations list on Monday. "Six candidates accused of participating in illegal elections are still abroad, and they were notified to return as soon as possible and surrender to the ministry of interior in order to be sent to the public prosecution," the sources added.

Serious measures

Kuwaiti authorities have serious measures to ban the outlawed tribal by-elections ahead of the Kuwait's parliament elections, expected in October. Sources told Kuwait Times two weeks ago that authorities prepared a series of tough security measures against any person who hosts by-elections at his residence which include security restrictions, court cases and can go as far as "withdrawing the host's residence". These threats have so far forced some hosts to reject candidates' requests to organize tribal by-elections and refund the registration fees they had already collected from them, the sources added.

Kuwait's election law bans hosting unofficial primaries to elect a candidate to represent a tribe,  religious sector, or any other social category ahead of the official election date. Nonetheless, there have been several accounts in recent years of by-elections hosted within tribes to elect a single candidate in hopes of improving a tribe's chances of representation in the National Assembly. This practice has drawn public outcry and criticism from other candidates, who complained of authorities' alleged failure to take serious measures to stop this illegal act.

New regulations

In other news, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of Social Affairs and Development Fahad Al-Shuraian issued new organizational decisions related to cooperative societies. "Cooperatives must be wise when hiring new employees in accordance with the cooperative's needs. For executive and supervisory positions, the salary should not exceed seven percent of total sales according to the latest sales reports," the decision said.

The decision also stipulated that all cooperatives that have exceeded the limit for hiring should take the necessary procedures to fix their problems by reviewing employment contracts and informing investigating jurisdictions of all changes in order to not to exceed employment limits.