KUWAIT CITY, Sept 5: Promises made by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in an interview aired on the state-run television channel Saturday to implement laws fairly and adhere to the KD 30 billion development plan have drawn various reactions from lawmakers. Liberal lawmaker Saleh Al-Mulla praised the premier for vowing to execute laws on all erring individuals regardless of their status, hoping Sheikh Nasser fulfills his promises. “The behavior of the Cabinet and its head contradicts the premier’s statement due to the lack or misusage of laws,” he lamented. Pointing out the prime minister’s statement matches what people expect from him, Al-Mulla stated, “It is now important for us to see the transformation of these words into action. However, I am not that hopeful,” he admitted. The lawmaker cited the violations in the sports sector, development plan, and awarding of tenders without consulting the Central Tenders Committee (CTC) as some of the reasons behind his reservations over the premier’s ability to fulfill his promises.

Doubts
Al-Mulla also raised doubts on the premier’s claim that he fully adheres to reports of the Audit Bureau, pointing out the bureau highlights “the same violations year after year and the subsequent Cabinets have not paid any attention to them”. He also urged Sheikh Nasser to instruct the ministers to respond to the inquiries of lawmakers, who only seek clarifications on the legality of measures taken by the Cabinet members.
Lawmaker Askar Al-Enezi lauded the prime minister for his sincerity in implementing laws, respecting the Constitution and executing the development plan, which is aimed at transforming Kuwait into a commercial and financial hub in the region. “The premier’s words were clear and courageous, reflecting his capability to lead the Cabinet towards better times,” he added.
Al-Enezi also called on Sheikh Nasser to hold such interviews regularly “as it strengthens the citizens’ trust in the Cabinet and its abilities”.

Agreeing with Al-Enezi, MP Dr Salwa Al-Jasser hopes the prime minister appears in television interviews regularly, since it affirms his ability to handle the affairs of the nation and maintain strong diplomatic ties with other countries in the world.
Al-Jassar contended the premier’s speech came at the most opportune time, since the country has been witnessing one crisis after another. She said the fact that the 2009 Parliament is the only legislature that has passed a bill on the development plan since 1986 is a clear manifestation of the Cabinet’s commitment to push the wheels of development forward, in addition to the willingness of the executive and legislative authorities to cooperate with each other in the interest of the nation. She commended the prime minister for admitting that the government has committed some mistakes and for promising to rectify these errors.

The lawmaker believes the prime minister’s statement focused on the most important issues in the country, while emphasizing the need to enforce the law on everybody.
On the role of lawmakers, Al-Jassar said the parliamentarians must guarantee the formation of responsible committees in the next legislative round to address a number of pending issues, strengthen coordination between the legislative and executive authorities, and achieve national development.
On the submission of parliamentary queries to ministers, Al-Jassar quoted the premier as saying that he respects the right of lawmakers to question erring members of the government. “However, some MPs have been using grilling as a tool to scare the government, instead of correcting flaws in public institutions. They should forward questions related to the nation and citizens, not the personal issues. On the other hand, the ministers should also respond to the logical queries to better serve the public,” she added.

Criticized
In another development, MP Adnan Al-Mutawwa criticized the government for renewing the tenure of some undersecretaries, who can no longer perform their duties, spent long years in service, and responsible for the laying off of a large number of Kuwaiti employees. He argued the committees tasked to appoint officials have chosen people, who do not meet the qualifications stipulated in Law Number 51. He called for the formation of committees with the ability to appoint officials based on the specified conditions, such as university degrees and experience. He added the government must not allow any lawmaker to interfere in the appointment of undersecretaries and other officials.
Al-Mutawwa also lashed out at Deputy Premier for Economic Affairs and State Minister for Housing and Development Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah for his failure to fulfill his promise to use an iron hand in dealing with erring government officials.

Meanwhile, MP Adnan AbdulSamad said many citizens have benefited from the Defaulters Fund. He wondered why some of his colleagues still believe the fund is useless, indicating the citizens should read and understand the law to fully benefit from the fund. “They should not live in the illusion that the government will soon approve the loans write-off proposal. The fund is the best solution, since it has so far eliminated a large part of the citizens’ debts,” he asserted.
AbdulSamad explained the new law fills the gaps, which prevented a number of defaulters from benefiting from the fund. Important amendments, such as leaving the financial ceiling open and allowing those whose financial status has improved to obtain loans again, have been made to encourage the indebted citizens to register in the fund, he concluded.