KUWAIT CITY, April 12: Opposition MP Musallam Al-Barrak defended his claims that His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, has sent a state minister to the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to apologize for implicating the country in the spy network case.

He said that he was merely transmitting what he believes to be credible news from an Arabic daily newspaper and invited Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Roudhan Al-Roudhan, to debate the issue on TV.
Speaking at a press conference, Al-Barrak said that the story was published on April 1 in Al-Qabas newspaper which quoted defense lawyers who allegedly requested the attendance of the PM during the trial of spy network suspects on March 29 to question him on the apology. The court refused and said that the issue was a political matter not a legal one, added Al-Barrak. The MP stated that the Cabinet did not refute the article when it was published thinking that their denial will increase the news’ publicity.

Al-Barrak added that news archives reveal that Al-Roudhan met with the Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait on May 5, 2010 and informed him that Iran was not involved in the espionage cases and that the government is not responsible for what political blocs are saying about Iran.

Al-Barrak accused the Labor Attaché of the Embassy of Iran of being entrusted with the formation of the spy networks. This means that the PM has failed to assess the strategic aim of Iran in Kuwait, he added.
The opposition MP said that Kuwait can not handle anymore “failed experiments” by the government of Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah. He said that the government can not claim to have succeeded in any of the country’s development projects. Al-Barrak added that Kuwaiti opinion is unanimous in the need to face any outside threat, from Iran or any other country.

On April 7, Roudhan Al-Roudhan dismissed Al-Barrak’s claims that the PM had sent a minister to the Iranian Embassy in Kuwait to apologize over the Iranian spy network case.

Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) quoted Al-Roudhan saying he was ready to meet MP Al-Barrak in public “to swear over the Holy Quran” to know “who is the truthful and who is the liar ... .” If the “claims and accusations of Musallam Al-Barrak proved to be true, I vow before the Kuwaiti people to resign from the National Assembly, but Al-Barrak should have the courage to resign ... too if he fails to prove his dangerous accusations,” said Al-Roudhan.

Furthermore, MP Khaled Al-Tahous said that opposition MPs’ differences with Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah are not personal, but due to his mismanagement of the state’s affairs. He added that MPs must not be silent on the violations of the Constitution, noting the Mishref sewage crisis, Audit Bureau reports and violations by the Ministry of Interior among other cases.

Meanwhile, Islamist MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei announced via Twitter the formation of a new parliamentary bloc entitled Nahg (Approach), short for a new prime minister with a new approach. Al-Tabtabaei explained to the press that the bloc will work on unifying parliamentary effort to face the new government.

The MP held its first meeting with members from the Popular Action Bloc (PAB) and the Development and Reform Bloc (DRB) Monday evening. Parliamentary sources reveal that the liberal National Action Bloc (NAB) has refused attending the meeting as the new bloc violates the Constitution by interfering in the jurisdiction of His Highness the Amir. Independent Shiite MP Yousef Al-Zalzalah also opposed the meeting and said that it is unconstitutional to oppose the decision of His Highness the Amir.

Moreover, on behalf of the DRB, Islamist MP Jamaan Al-Harbash announced that the bloc will submit a grilling request against Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr Moudhi Al-Humoud, if she is reinstated to her position by the PM. Al-Harbash explained that the minister’s performance was far from professional by creating an atmosphere for political bargaining within her ministries, Kuwait University and as well as the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training.