By Muntaha Al-Fadhli, KUNA,
Kuwait : A national transparency authority will oversee the scheduled parliamentary process and record and report any irregularities during the polls due on May 17.
Chairman of Kuwait Transparency Society (KTC) and the Higher Transparency Commision Salah Al-Ghazali told KUNA that teams of the commission would observe the polls and report any irregularity or offense such as vote buying, suspicious financial funding, violence or any illegal act related to ballot casting.
Volunteer observers tasked by the commission will ensure that the elections will be free of any irregular or illegal acts, he said, adding that the authority had contributed in the issuance of a decree to set the number of representatives of the nominees at the ballot stations at 15 per each candidate.
The commission has been preparing weekly reports about the electoral run-up campaigns, including conducts of the nominees and would-be voters. Remarks and recommendations would be grouped in special reports, to be referred to the government and parliament.
The commission was set up in line with the audio-visual media law, issued in July last year.
Elaborating, Al-Ghazali said the commission had recommended amending the electoral law to enabling cases of special needs and students studying abroad to practise their political right of voting.
The commission has also contributed in formation of a joint committee of the municipality and the intertior ministry for issuance of special laws that barred electoral slogans at public places, holding “meetings for electoral consultations” or public gatherings for promoting the candidates.
Its role also includes enhancing awarness of the voters and prohibition of purchase of votes.