KUWAIT CITY, Dec 27: The government has asked for the grilling of HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to be held behind closed doors and the request will be presented to the Parliament for voting, says Parliament Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Al-Khorafi confirmed receiving information from Minister of Communications and State Minister for National Assembly Affairs Dr Mohammad Al-Busairi that the government will request holding the grilling behind closed doors.

Calling on everybody to refrain from instigating chaos or creating trouble, Al-Khorafi pointed out the nation can no longer bear any crisis. “We have to fear God and believe in the correct democracy. We must learn how to debate various issues inside the Abdullah Al-Salem Hall in accordance with the parliamentary bylaws and the Constitution,” he asserted.

Indicating this is not the first grilling and will definitely not be the last, Al-Khorafi hopes the interpellation will be carried out properly. He asked the members of both authorities to discuss the grilling points objectively to prevent further division among the people in this small nation.

Asked about his power as Speaker to maintain security outside the Parliament, Al-Khorafi explained his jurisdiction is inside the legislature. He said the government is responsible for maintaining peace and order; hence, it should carry out its duties within the purview of the law; without provoking clashes between the security officers and the populace.

In the meantime, Al-Busairi disclosed that he informed the Speaker on the government’s intention to attend the session slated for Tuesday to discuss the grilling of the premier.

Al-Busairi asserted the government will enter the session hall with more confidence and strength on Tuesday, because the premier is willing to stand on the grilling podium to present concrete evidence and documents to clarify points of the interpellation. However, he did not mention if the government will request a closed-door grilling session or not.

Hoping for a smooth and transparent session, Al-Busairi looks forward to the ‘historic day’ as it is an opportunity for both the legislative and executive authorities to prove that they still respect democracy, Constitution and bylaws. He also urged the parliamentary members to be fair in judging the contents of the grilling.

Meanwhile, Special Forces were seen as early as Monday in front of the Parliament building, setting up security barricades in preparation for Tuesday’s session. They also cordoned off the Erada Square as a precautionary measure to confront anybody who might violate security regulations during the session.
In a related development, MP Mohammed Hayef denounced the Ministry of Interior for the early deployment of the security officers and installation of barricades around the Parliament building. He argued the ministry has taken unjustified security measures, while accusing the government of escalating tension.

“Did they ask permission from the Parliament before putting up the barricades or closing some roads? The legislature is an independent authority, so why the fuss about setting up checkpoints around the building? It seems the government is bent on curtailing people’s freedom like what happened at a seminar in the diwaniya of MP Jamaan Al-Harbash earlier this month. We will achieve our goal because this is the first time that we have such a number of MPs supporting the grilling. The government should resign, especially since it has failed to issue a statement in solidarity with the prime minister due to its inability to obtain the support of a majority in the Parliament.”

On the other hand, MP Hussein Al-Huraiti believes the measures taken by the ministry are part of its duty to maintain peace and order in the country, in addition to ensuring smooth flow of traffic before, during and after the session. “We will listen to the views of the proponents of the grilling and the response of the premier before announcing our stand on the issue. We wish the session will proceed smoothly,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Special Forces of the Interior Ministry will be deployed across the country to prevent any untoward incident before, during or after the grilling of Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah Tuesday, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense has decided not to allow its employees take leave from the start of the new year until the end of National and Liberation day celebrations.

The government of Kuwait expressed confidence Sunday that MPs would stand in a “decisive and fair” manner against interpellations “which violate Constitution articles and severely harm public interest,” while affirming keenness to refute grilling with “evidence and facts.” The Cabinet members discussed, in their weekly meeting, an interpellation against the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and said it was keen on answering and refuting the grilling with “evidence and facts.” The Cabinet, chaired by Sheikh Nasser, expressed confidence that the lawmakers “will stand decisively and fairly against these interpellations which violate articles of Constitution and severely harm public interest,” Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Roudhan Al-Roudhan said in a statement.

The government is committed to democracy and “to overcoming this phase and exerting efforts to contribute to the higher interest and boosting integration between members of the single Kuwaiti family,” he said.

The government, added Al-Roudhan, would always extend its hand for the parliament to push development forward, implement the development projects and achieving prosperity.
 Minister of Interior Lt-Gen Sheikh Jaber Khaled Al-Sabah (ret.) briefed the Cabinet about events that accompanied recent illegal gatherings.

He said the Interior Ministry’s measures aimed at preserving security in Kuwait within the law, in a bid to address any attempt to undermine stability nationwide.

Deputy Premier for Legal Affairs, Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Justice Rashed Al-Hammad, briefed the Cabinet about stripping immunity of MP Faisal Al-Muslem, in accordance with a verdict by the Criminal Court against the lawmaker.

Al-Hammad explained that the Ministry of Justice, in compliance with the Court’s Verdict, referred the ruling to the National Assembly. He affirmed independence of the judiciary, said Al-Roudhan.
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry termed Sunday as “baseless” a statement by an MP that it edited a video clip of one of its senior officers, to be played during interpellation of His Highness the Premier Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, scheduled for December 28.

“What has been circulated is nothing but a new attempt by the MP to distort role of the Ministry and its leaders ...,” the ministry said in a brief statement to KUNA, but did not mention the name of the lawmaker.
The ministry underlined that it would “never use this method.”