Demonstrators Back - Citizenship Is Our Demand

After years of calm and peace in the country, demonstrations have returned to Erada Square, reports Al-Seyassah daily. The call for demonstration was made by former MP Saleh Al- Mulla via his Twitter account, which succeeded in attracting the attention of hundreds of citizens and Bedoun residents including former MPs and activists. They gathered at Erada Square tonight and held the demonstration under the slogan “The story has become silly enough”.

Their top demand is the cancellation of loans and interests. Some of the other demands expressed by the protestors during the demonstrations were “Citizenship is our demand”, “Immediate and full citizenships”, “Citizenship is the solution”, “Our demand is the cancellation of Central System for Remedying Status of Illegal Residents”, “We are Kuwaitis whether you like it or not” among others.

According to some protestors, the calls started by protesting against the widespread corruption and ending with calls for offering Kuwaiti citizenship and cancellation of loans.

The demonstrators verbally attacked both the executive and legislative authorities, calling for the dismissal of the National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al- Ghanim and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Former National Assembly Speaker Ahmed Al-Sa’adoun said the demonstrations reflect the anger of the people towards both the government and the National Assembly.

Activist Latifa Al-Ruzaihan said, “We call for the reassignment of the government and National Assembly, and we demand elimination of corruption”. She stated that the government issued licenses to real-estate companies that swindled citizens of their money and managed to escape without being held accountable or facing any questioning.

Abdulaziz Al-Suwait told Al- Seyassah daily, “The National Assembly is very bad and it should leave. So does the government”.

He insisted, “Kuwait deserves a better government and a better National Assembly”. Al-Suwait lamented that the National Assembly neglected its duty in terms of monitoring the government, adding that they are participating in the demonstration to demand the dissolution of the Parliament and the resignation of the government.

In this regard, former MP Saleh Al-Mulla told Al-Qabas TV at Erada Square that “Citizens are fed up of the widespread corruption”. He stressed that none of the protestors are seeking any personal interests or personal agendas, but their main demand is to put an end to the widespread corruption. Al-Mulla affirmed that it is the people of Kuwait who stated the demands, adding, “The Constitution, which placed Kuwait in a distinguished place, is being humiliated at present”. He insisted that such conditions are no longer acceptable, and he believes all Kuwaitis agree on dissolving both the National Assembly and the Council of Ministers.

Al-Mulla said the environment is corrupt and it must be cleaned up before starting to solve the problems and responding to the citizens’ demands. Meanwhile, one of the placards raised during the demonstration at Erada Square had the following demands:

1. Comprehensive amnesty

2. Approval of the Bedoun lawyers law

3. A new government with new faces

4. A new elections law

5. Cancellation of loans and interests

6. No gifts to foreign countries without the approval of the National Assembly According to posts published by the social media account “3ajelkw”, one of the female protestors lamented the unemployment rate in Kuwait.

She said she wonders how expatriates are able to easily change their visit visa to work visa in order to work in Kuwait while many highly qualified citizens are jobless.

Another female protestor complained about the widespread corruption in the country especially in Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Works

 

SOURCE : ARABTIMES

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