Kuwait: Debate over citizenship

A planned debate in the National Assembly (parliament) over amendments to the 1959 nationality law has been delayed until late March, putting off further public clashes over a contentious issue for a few weeks at least. Opposition MPs are demanding the law should make clear that citizenship cannot be revoked without a final court ruling, while the government argues such decisions should be in its hands alone. Revoking citizenship is a popular option for Gulf authorities trying to silence opposition voices and has been used recently in both Kuwait (GSN 1,013/1) and Bahrain (GSN 1,018/16).