KUWAIT CITY, Oct 9: The Legal and Legislative Committee met on Sunday to discuss and review the anti-graft draft law proposed by the Cabinet as well as proposals by members of parliament in that regard. MPs Masouma Al-Mubarak and Wa’alan Mubarak Al-Wa’alan said there are clear but minor differences between the executive proposal and the MPs’ proposals pertaining to key proponents such as financial disclosure.
The MPs revealed that the Cabinet proposal did not include mechanisms of selection of the anti-corruption commission board members. While the MPs proposed the commission be under the authority of the Cabinet, the government proposed it functions under the authority of the Minister of Justice.
Furthermore, Al-Wa’alan said the committee discussed the retroactivity of financial disclosure as demanded by MPs and, although the government proposal included financial disclosure, it did not stress on its retroactive application. For her part, Al-Mubarak added that the committee appointed its legal consultants to study the legality of applying disclosure of wealth retroactively and will complete its report before the next legislative round begins.
Al-Mubarak said the government was expected to attend the meeting on Sunday; however Minister of Justice Dr Mohammed Al-Afasi, the Central Bank Governor and the Minister of Finance were absent. Invitations to the executive officials were renewed for Tuesdays and Sundays.
Meanwhile, opposition MP and member of the Popular Action Bloc, Ali Al-Deqbasi, said he will submit his resignation along with his fellow colleagues if that is the direction the legislative authority chooses to head for early elections. Commenting on questions sent by his followers on Twitter, Al-Deqbasi said that he had not signed the financial disclosure petition initiated by MP Mubarak Al-Wa’alan because it was not legally binding and could be ineffective. He said that he appreciates the petition and the 20 MPs who submitted their signatures, however the anti-graft law is more vital in the fight against corruption.
On another note, MP Aseel Al-Awadhi said that the National Action Bloc will be meeting this week to decide on its stance regarding the grilling request against His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah. She said that each member have stated their own personal opinions in that regard but were not speaking on behalf of the NAB. Al-Awadhi added that some of its members have only attended rallies in Al-Irada Square to express their anger regarding the multi-million dinar graft scandal.