Kuwait: Bloggers to Play Leading Role in Elections · Global Voices
Abdullatif AlOmar

It's already Summer in Kuwait, where temperatures peaked 42 degrees Celsius. But what's also heating up in the race to the Parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 17.
Intlxpatr explains the weather in the photo above and says:
106°F / 42°C and Hot and DUSTY. This is what it looks like at 3:30 PM:
The photo is not altered in any way. The orangey-yellow color is the real color of the sky. Totally weird. Big huge rolling waves coming in, good weekend to go shelling!
Q80 Saracen over at Kuwait The Panic Button explains how he thinks most Kuwaitis vote. He says:
For those few Kuwaitis out there who don't know how they're going to vote, there usually is a self-imposed criterion that one tries to follow. It differs from person to person, and the range that it stretches is in itself humorous.
Meanwhile, Kuwaiti bloggers have joined hands in a new blog which aims to provide an unbiased view and news on the elections.
At the blog, 5-q8, Forzaq8 asks a valid question:
و لكن السؤال الذى ينبغى طرحه ما الثمن ؟
عندما تنزل انتخابات و تصرف مبلغا يفوق الــ 30 ألف دينار
( هناك مصادر تتحدث عن ارقام بالملايين ) أليس من واجبنا ان نسأل لماذا هو مستعد ان يلقى بكل هذا المبلغ ؟
But the question we should be asking is: “At what price ?”
When you enter the elections and spend over KD30,000 (there are other sources put this figure in millions), isn't it our duty to ask why is this candidate ready to spend all that money ?
What is the return that the candidate expects when he spends thousands on his campaign ? And if he is keen on ensuring Kuwait's interest and he has extra cash lying around, why doesn't he donate it for a project to help Kuwait better than just talk ?
EXzombie, also at 5-q8, talks about the role bloggers will play in the elections and writes:
In the light of the Press and advertising embargo imposed on the candidates, modern mass communications have become important to garner the votes of the largest number of constituents. This is why a number of candidates are relying on the easiest and fastest growing used by youth and that is blogs. Bloggers will now come under the radar after the media and community's realisation of their role and importance at such critical times in the lives of candidates. This is why everyone is hoping that the bloggers will fulfil what they want and recruit enough voters to guarantee them a seat in parliament. Although a few candidates have started their own satellite channels, which are solely dedicated to promote certain candidates and their agendas, I expect blogging to be the moving force in promoting candidates and their election programmes among a large segment of society, including youth and elderly people. In addition, a number of bloggers have been invited to take part in those channels as presenters and correspondents, and 5-q8 has noted that a few of them have indeed accepted positions.
And while we're on the topic of the elections, Bint Alshamiya wrote this beautiful article in her blog about the right of women to vote – and make up their own minds.
Picture Credit Intlxpatr