KUWAIT CITY, Feb 7: The National Assembly in Thursday’s special session approved a bill that determines the number of qualified Bedoun (stateless residents) to be granted Kuwaiti citizenship in 2013, in its first deliberation.

However, the vote on the Interior and Defense Committee report, which stipulates the citizenship of 4000 Bedoun, arrived after the Assembly rejected the executive authority’s request to return the report to the committee so that it can include the Cabinet’s observations on the issue.

Cabinet ministers and a number of MPs in the pro-government Assembly walked out of the session to reduce the quorum needed for the vote. But MPs Hussein Al-Qallaf, Adnan Abdulsamad and Yousef Al-Zalzalah noted “a government’s attempt to thwart the vote” and said that Dr Rola Dashti, who is Minister of Planning and Development and State Minister for National Assembly Affairs, had incited the Cabinet and MPs to leave Abdullah Al-Salem Hall.

“This is a political tactic by the government... the prime minister must be questioned,” Al-Qallaf yelled loudly in the hall, prompting Parliament Speaker Ali Al-Rashid to adjourn the session for 15 minutes.
The National Assembly also discussed allegations of corruption and irrational government spending of public funds made by former lawmaker and minister of housing Shuaib Al-Muwaizri during a television interview last December.

Deliberations on the issue were with Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh and representatives from the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), Ministry of Public Works and the Public Institute for Social Security (PASS).

In conclusion, the Assembly recommended that legal action be taken immediately by the government against Al-Muwaizri under the Trial of Ministers Law. The legal and Legislative Affairs Committee was also tasked with launching a fact-finding mission on conflict of interest deals with officials at the Public Institute for Social Security.

Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh read out an official government statement which assured that the government is keen on protecting public funds, safeguarding the country’s interests, and promoting integrity and transparency in order to achieve stability, development and social security.
The statement noted that government financial institutions do not venture into risky investment but invest the state’s public reserve and future generation reserve into various investments across the globe after careful consideration and studies to ensure the feasibility of those investments.

The statement further explained that not all investments are guaranteed to make profit and that any investment is prone to gain and loss depending on world’s political and economical climate. It added that financial institutions follow strict procedures and that their performances are closely monitored by governmental bodies to ensure their integrity and transparency.

Meanwhile, the Assembly approved a number of other bills in their first and second deliberations and referred them to the government.

A bill amending the budget stipulation of the Municipality Law was approved as well as a draft law related to regulations of preparing the budgets of public authorities, so that their financial projections are referred to the Finance Minister for review or amendment before their submission to the cabinet.
The Assembly further approved a proposed law allowing non-Kuwaitis to be enrolled in senior educational centers under the Ministry of Education.