Kuwait Appeals to Voters amid Boycott Calls

The Kuwaiti government on Thursday launched a media campaign to convince voters to cast their ballot in the December 1 poll in a bid to counter opposition calls for a boycott over a disputed law.

The campaign comes a day after Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah urged the public to be "positive" and cast their votes to elect the best candidates.

"Why remain negative and instigate people to boycott the election?" asked the ruler in a speech to a number of academics.

"Be positive and take part in the election process," to elect competent representatives, said the emir who called for "chaos and violence" to bee avoided.

State-run television and radio stations started Thursday broadcasting advertisements urging Kuwaitis to cast their votes, explaining the negative consequences of the boycott on the future of the country.

The government move came as the opposition, comprising Islamists, nationalists and liberals, steps up a campaign of its own to convince voters to shun the election in protest at the amendment of the electoral law.

The opposition claims the amendment breaches the constitution and allows the government to influence the outcome of the results and elect a rubber stamp parliament.

Sheikh Sabah had said the amendment was within his constitutional rights and necessary to safeguard national unity and security of the emirate.

The election is the second this year and the fifth since mid-2006 as the emirate is rocked by ongoing political crises between parliament and the government led by the ruling Al-Sabah family.