Kuwait holds politicians for slamming ruling family

KUWAIT, April 19 (Reuters) - Kuwaiti authorities arrested an election candidate on Sunday for criticising members of the ruling al-Sabah family, days after the arrest of another candidate over a similar issue, a witness and former MP said.

Kuwait's ruler, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, dissolved parliament last month to end a longstanding political standoff with the government with elections set for May 16.

The OPEC member allows more political freedom than other Gulf states but criticising the ruling Sabah family is a sensitive issue. The ruler has the last say in politics, while Sabah members also hold key cabinet portfolios such as defence, interior and foreign affairs.

State security arrested Khalifa al-Kharafi, who is from the same family as former parliamentary speaker Jassim al-Kharafi, at his home on Sunday, a witness and former Islamist lawmaker and parliamentary candidate Waleed al-Tabtabae said.

"I think these acts drive us to become a police state, which we reject," Tabtabae said. "This should not have been referred to state security, it should have been referred to the court."

The authorities were not immediately available for comment.

"I'm surprised a case is being moved against me now over a TV interview that I did a year and half ago," private television station al-Rai TV quoted Kharafi as saying after his arrest.

In the interview, Kharafi, who is also a member of the municipality council, had told a local TV channel that the Sabah family was incapable of running the country, media reports said.

On Thursday, state security arrested former Islamist MP Daifallah Buramia after he told an election rally that Defence Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Hamad al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling family, was incapable of becoming prime minister.