Cabinet okays new draft law to set up anti-graft authority – Bill referred to His Highness the Amir

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KUWAIT CITY, Dec 21, (KUNA): The Cabinet on Monday approved a new draft law for establishing the Anti-Corruption Authority, as a previous one was deemed unconstitutional. The Cabinet’s weekly meeting at Seif Palace, chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al- Hamad Al-Sabah, referred the bill to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah.

The bill will later find its way to the National Assembly, given “urgency” sign by the Cabinet, in line with items 98 and 181 of the Parliament’s bylaw, said Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Acting Minister of Electricity and Water Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al- Mubarak Al-Sabah. The Cabinet okayed a draft decree to withdraw decree 146/2013 on appointing a chairman, a deputy chairman and board of trustees of the Anti- Corruption Authority, and decree 147/2013 on their salaries and financial benefits. The ministers also approved a draft decree to withdraw a previous one, with No. 77/2015, for issuing the executive rule of the decree-law 24/2012 on establishing the Anti- Corruption Authority, and provisions pertinent to financial disclosures.

The Cabinet considered null and void all decisions on employee terminations, or shifts from other government bodies to the Anti-Corruption Authority. The ministers had discussed repercussions of the ruling by the Constitutional Court on Sunday on the unconstitutionality of Law Decree No. 24 of 2012 on establishing the Anti- Corruption Authority and provisions pertinent to financial disclosures. They entrusted Minister of Justice and Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Yaqoub Al-Sanea with forming a committee to receive the authority’s assets, documents and papers, taking the necessary measures to care for them and their secrecy.

The meeting stressed the importance of having the Anti-Corruption Authority as part of the legislative system, for the good of the state supreme interests, based on the great interest by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in fighting corruption. Meanwhile, the Cabinet today approved and referred to His Highness the Amir a draft law that allows the government to withdraw KD 600 million from monetary reserves to boost the capital of Kuwait Airways, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah said. The meeting approved and referred to His Highness the Amir another two bills on social care for the elderly, and mental health and caring for psychotics.

The draft laws will later find their way to the National Assembly. A fourth draft decree was approved for a MoU for cooperation between Kuwait and the UK and Northern Ireland in the field of education. As today’s meeting started, the Cabinet was notified of messages His Highness the Amir received from Presidents Abedfatah el-Sisi of Egypt, Beji Caid Essebsi of Tunisia, Almazbek Atambayev of Kyrgyzstan, Thomas Boni Yayi of Benin, and Tomislav Nikolic of Serbia, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah said. The presidential messages addressed means of bolstering bilateral ties in all fields. The Cabinet then congratulated His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the Kuwaiti people on the occasion of Prophet Mohammad’s birthday.

The ministers also offered their congratulations to His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince and the Kuwaiti people on the opening of the Jaber International Stadium, hoping that it will be a take-off for restoring the “golden age” of the Kuwaiti sports, and achievements. The Cabinet appreciated efforts by the organizing committee of the grand opening ceremony, especially to Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Acting Minister of Electricity and Water Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.

Thanks for the tremendous efforts lavished in the organization of the occasion were extended to all the bodies that took part in the occasion, topped with the Amiri Diwan, the Cabinet’s secretariat, the Interior Ministry and the Public Authority for Sports as well as other bodies. The meeting lauded the security arrangements during the occasion, and appreciated spectators’ interaction and positive participation in the celebrations, which highlighted Kuwait’s bright and civilized image. Following this, the Cabinet was briefed by First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al- Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on the recent visit by Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad bin Amin Madani to Kuwait.

The visit addressed the OIC’s activities and the latest developments on the regional and international scenes. Meanwhile, the Cabinet on Monday welcomed a recent Saudi decision to form an Islamic coalition to fight terrorism and to establish a joint operation center in Riyadh. The anti-terrorism coalition is based on the principles and objectives of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), aiming to fight all forms and manifestations of terrorism, the Cabinet said in a statement following its weekly meeting. In this context, the Cabinet appreciated the great efforts exerted by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in the fight against terrorism and terrorist groups which commit brutal acts that have nothing to do whatsoever with Islam. In the meantime, the Cabinet on Monday welcomed a recently concluded UN-brokered agreement to form a national unity government in Libya.

The Cabinet hailed the agreement as a practical step that would contribute to putting an end to the armed conflict in Libya, and to restore security and stability to the whole of Libya, according to a statement issued following the Cabinet’s customary weekly meeting. In this context, the Cabinet urged all Libyan parties to abide by the agreement, to ensure their country interest, and to harness their efforts to rebuild their nation, maintain its territorial integrity and fulfill the Libyan people’s hopes. Libyan political leaders had met in Skhirate city in west Morocco and signed the agreement after more than a year of UN-led negotiations

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