KUWAIT CITY, Nov 8: All the opposition blocs have come to an agreement on the interpellation that is to be submitted against the prime minister over the multimillion dinar deposit case, Al-Qabas daily quoted MP Khaled Al-Tahous as saying.

“We are at a crossroads now; the corrupt MPs are on one road and we on the other, and we no longer wish to continue the journey with the corrupt ones,” he added.

Kuwait is a country of institutions and there are laws that govern the relations among individuals, MP Mubarak Al-Khurainej told Al-Qabas daily, adding it is the responsibility of the Interior minister to enforce the law against those who insult the ruler.

He said the minister shouldn’t succumb to political pressure and just enforce the law “as the accused is innocent until proven guilty. We support freedom of speech and the right to criticize, but it should be done within a limit and should not be offensive.”

Board Chairman of Kuwait Transparency Society (KTS) Salah Al-Ghazali called for the passage of laws on transparency and the right to information before the International Anti-Corruption Day which is marked on Dec 9th every year, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.

Both the bills are on the agenda of the Parliamentary Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs. Al-Ghazali said nearly 30 national organizations reject the government’s version of the anti-corruption bill and support the bill submitted by MPs as it was prepared by civilian experts. The MPs’ bill calls for the establishment of a public authority for transparency and integrity.

In its monthly report, KTS called for opening investigations into violations that take place during recruitment process, the granting of promotions and so on, said Al-Ghazali. Also, it asked authorities handling the multimillion dinar deposit case like the Central Bank of Kuwait, Public Prosecution, local banks and others to announce the precautionary measures they have taken to prevent suspected money laundering operations. The report also covered the Ministry of Interior’s increased campaigns against illegal overseas call service providers.

Meanwhile, MP Dr Salwa Al-Jassar has stressed the need for the National Assembly to pass a bill on the protection of citizens’ rights, especially the Twitter users, and impose harsher penalties on those proven to have violated the law, reports Al-Jarida daily.

Al-Jassar called for the speedy passage of the bill, which must include all issues related to the print media, mass communications and social networking sites. She revealed the Educational Affairs Committee had previously discussed the proposed amendments to the Audio-Visual Law, in response to the request of the government to review the bill thoroughly.

She pointed out the social networking sites have been causing ripples in Kuwait and other countries due to the series of arrests. She also emphasized the importance of updating technology regulations to serve as a guideline in case of violations. She added the current political situation necessitates the expansion of the scope of freedom of expression.