KUWAIT CITY, March 10: Several lawyers staged a demonstration, demanding higher salaries and better social status at the Kuwait Lawyers Association building on the Arabian Gulf Road Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, lawyer Ali Al-Ali said “in line with HH the Amir’s policy on supporting national workforce in the private sector and encouraging youths to take up jobs in the private sector, we, representing all the judiciary, hereby request that the legal profession, which is a highly respected profession, be given befitting social status and appropriate financial package by the government.  We urge the Cabinet and other authorities to quickly approve our demands based on the study presented by the executive organ for the support of national workforce.”
Lawyer Ahmad Al-Qahtani condemned the government for allowing foreign lawyers to open legal offices in Kuwait, saying it has a negative effect on Kuwaiti lawyers. He also condemned the statement attributed to one of the board members of the Kuwait Lawyers Association who allegedly described the protesters as ‘potato bakers,’ and criticized the chairman of the association for not participating in the protest.
Another lawyer Nawaf Al-Sari said the message of the lawyers is very clear and it will reach the government. He said the problem is not with approving the demands but with those representing the lawyers in the board. Wondering how protesters can be described as potato bakers, he said if the statement is confirmed true, “we will throw potatoes at the board members.”
Lawyer Ali Al-Kandari, replying to the allegations against the board, said they were surprised because the board was not informed about the protest. “For the past four years, a specific committee has been coordinating with the Cabinet, the Manpower and Government Restructuring Program (MGRP), and the executive organ for support of national workforce to look into these very demands.” He said the demands may not have been accepted due to the contradictory number of lawyers mentioned in a study presented by the former board to authorities. Referring to the ‘potato bakers’ comment, he said he didn’t read it and if it is true, it is the personal opinion of the member, not the official stand.
Meanwhile, the board member who reportedly made the comment, Khalid Al-Uwaiyan, said he wasn’t referring to protesting lawyers, but protesters at Erada Square. In a message posted on Twitter, he said those calling for continuous protests from 6 o’clock to 11 o’clock are trying to incite an uprising and are baking potatoes.