KUWAIT CITY, Nov 1: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has asked the pro and anti-government lawmakers to strengthen coordination between the legislative and executive authorities, focus on development and stability, support the projects of the country for it to move forward, and steer away from tension and problems.

 The Amir issued the directives in separate meetings with the pro and anti-government lawmakers Tuesday. A total of 19 opposition lawmakers had an audience with the Amir at Bayan Palace, during which they presented their points of view on various issues, including the appointment of a new prime minister. Those who were present at the meeting included MPs Ahmad Al-Saadoun, Mohammed Al-Mutair, Roudhan Al-Roudhan, Salem Al-Namlan, Musallam Al-Barrak, Naji Al-Abdulhadi, Mubarak Al-Waalan, Khalid Al-Tahous, Ali Al-Deqbasi, Khalid Al-Sultan, Faisal Al-Muslim, Shuaib Al-Muwaizri, Abdulrahman Al-Anjari, Jamaan Al-Harbash, Daifallah Buramiya, Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, Al-Saifi Mubarak Al-Saifi, Mohammad Hayef and Falah Al-Sawagh. 

During the meeting, the Amir assured the opposition lawmakers that he fully understands their points of view and keenness to protect the interests of the nation and its people.  The lawmakers, on the other hand, reaffirmed their commitment to the Constitution, which specifies the jurisdiction of the Amir.  They also tackled the current situation in the local political arena, particularly the performance of the incumbent government and its head — HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. 
The lawmakers pointed out different aspects of the failures of the government and its leader despite being given several chances to better serve the public.  They lamented the seven consecutive governments have not taken any concrete step towards national growth, as manifested in the delayed implementation of the development plan even if a huge budget has been allocated for this purpose. They also expressed resentment on the poor performance of the executive, particularly its failure to combat corruption.
 Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Al-Mutair disclosed, “We explained everything to the Amir, who gave wise directives.  We also informed him that the people of Kuwait are no longer happy with the situation.”

 Asked about the next meeting of the opposition, Al-Mutair said they will meet on Nov 14 to deliberate on what may happen in the parliamentary session slated for the following day.

 Al-Tabtabaei, who represented the Development and Reform Bloc in the meeting, believes the best solution is for the government and its head to step down.  He stressed the need to hold the premier and the executive authority responsible for the worsening political situation. 

 Meanwhile, 15 pro-government lawmakers also met the Amir after the dinner he hosted in honor of Prince Charles. These lawmakers included Hussein Al-Huraiti, Ghanem Al-Mai’e, Saad Zunaifeer, Mikhled Al-Azmi, Mubarak Al-Khurainej, Saad Al-Khanfour, Askar Al-Enezi, Khalaf Dumaitheer, Maasouma Al-Mubarak, Salwa Al-Jassar, Adnan Al-Mutawwa, Sahel Ashour, Saadoun Hammad, Yousef Al-Zalzalah and Khalid Al-Adwah.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the lawmakers affirmed the meeting with the Amir was fruitful, especially since he instructed everyone to maintain harmonious relations with the government and to guarantee the proper implementation of laws.  They revealed the Amir expressed concern on the youths being provoked to hold street demonstrations, hoping he will not be compelled to use his constitutional tools to address the problem. 

They said the Amir commended the efforts exerted by the lawmakers, while underscoring the importance of setting aside differences, specifically this time when the country is facing a number of challenges, so they can concentrate on working in the interest of the nation and its people.

 In a related development, the National Action Bloc issued a statement on the same day, calling for the appointment of a new premier and adopting a better approach to save the country from further collapse.
 This is in response to media speculations that the bloc has no firm stand on the multimillion deposit scam and the premier’s grilling.  The statement was signed by MPs Abdullah Al-Roumi, Adel Al-Saraawi, Marzouq Al-Ghanem, Aseel Al-Awadhi and Saleh Al-Mullah.

 Affirming that they closely monitor the political developments, the bloc asserted, “We agreed with the people of Kuwait on the worsening political situation in the country, as well as the absence of development steps.  We fully understand why they no longer trust the executive and legislative authorities, especially when the multimillion deposit scandal surfaced. The implication of some MPs in the scandal has negatively affected our democratic practice. Due to the dire consequences of the scam, it is imperative to take the necessary action against the bribe-takers and givers to restore the confidence of the people in the State institutions.”

 Stressing they remain committed to the Constitution, the bloc called for solutions in line with the constitutional framework to avoid the recurrence of the problems and to prevent the unscrupulous individuals from taking advantage of the situation to achieve personal goals. They presented a number of recommendations, such as forwarding parliamentary questions to the concerned ministers to determine the actual role of the government in the scam and conducting a thorough investigation to punish all those involved. They proposed instructing a particular parliamentary committee to carry out the investigation or asking a lawmaker to probe into the procedures followed by the Central Bank of Kuwait to uncover irregularities. They also called for the immediate passage of the anti-corruption draft bills, especially the assets declaration bill, which must be applicable to all officials, including the premier, ministers and lawmakers.

 Threatening to grill the prime minister if the government delays the implementation of laws or manipulate them, the bloc emphasized the need to effectively use grilling as a tool to protect public funds and to uphold the constitutional principles. “Kuwait must get out of the political quagmire.  We firmly believe that development is possible only if a new prime minister with a different administrative perspective is appointed.  This is necessary because Sheikh Nasser has repeatedly failed to implement genuine reforms, which are important for national growth,” the bloc concluded.