Kuwaiti Candidate’s Campaign Headquarters Burned Down

Hundreds of angry tribesmen burned down a tent that was serving as the campaign headquarters for Mohammed Al Juwaihel, a current candidate for Kuwait’s parliament elections this week. Reportedly, “Al Juwaihel criticised a candidate from the Mutairi tribe, a 100,000-strong clan that is the second largest in Kuwait, and the tribe itself.” Insulted by the criticism, the tribesmen rushed Al Juwaihel’s tent and burned it to the ground. No one was reported injured. There were many responses following the comments. Mohammad Munawar, a lawyer, filed a law suit attempting to bar Al Juwaihel from running for election. Though his name was initially removed, an administrative court reinstated it, and he will still be allowed to run for parliament. At least 17 were injured in  protest outside al-Watan TV headquarters, where protestors were “accusing the broadcaster of inciting sedition in the Gulf emirate.” Tear gas was fired into the crowd to break up the protest. In response to all of these actions, the Kuwaiti Cabinet held an extraordinary meeting to discuss how to move forward. Justice Minister and Minister of Education and Higher Education, Ahmad Al-Mulaifi expressed dismay in Al Juwaihel’s language, and said, “these actions violate the law and risk a state of chaos that threatens the security and safety of the nation and citizenry.” The Cabinet has vowed to take any action necessary to protect the security of its nation, and stressed that freedom does not permit offending others.

Meanwhile, with parliamentary elections due to be held this week, teams from the Ministry of Interior and the Kuwait’s Municipality are scheduled to tour polling stations to ensure that the elections will be free of violations. They are also checking for security, tidiness, and organization to make sure elections run smoothly.