KUWAIT CITY, Nov 7: The economic reform document will be discussed thoroughly in the next Parliament as the incoming lawmakers will ensure that citizens, particularly the middle class and low income earners, will not bear the repercussions of price hikes, says Third Constituency candidate and former MP Jamal Al-Omar. He stressed the need to look into decisions taken by the government in the past, especially the gasoline price hike. He asserted, “We will not allow the government to touch the citizens’ pockets as a way to reduce the budget deficit.”EffortMeanwhile, Second Constituency candidate and former MP Jaman Al-Harbash emphasized the need for the next Parliament to implement political and economic reforms; indicating this requires time and effort, not sweet and emotional words.He added this also necessitates a Parliament with the power to supervise the government, disclosing the previous legislature’s failure to realize the aspirations of citizens prompted him to run for the next election. He pointed out that electoral reform is the main gate to political reform, clarifying he does not support the one-vote system but he decided to contest the elections to serve in the interest of Kuwait and its people.He argued the justifications for approval of the one-vote system were to eliminate sectarianism and tribalism and to give minorities a chance; yet what happened in the past three years proved otherwise as the one-vote system encouraged sectarianism and tribalism.On the overseas treatment issue, he said the number of Kuwaitis who went abroad for treatment as of March this year reached 11,000 and the total expenditure for this purpose is estimated at KD 1.4 billion, asserting this is considered utter wastage of public funds.EffectiveFurthermore, Second Constituency candidate and former MP Ahmed Lari underscored the importance of effective participation and recognizing the role of women in the upcoming elections in order to put the right people in the Parliament. He urged all candidates to refrain from engaging in negative acts and from boycotting the elections. He affirmed the laws passed by the previous legislative authority serve the interests of citizens. “I call on all voters to participate rather than boycotting the election. You should choose the best candidates to ensure a bright future for Kuwait,” he said. He added, “Kuwait has no full parliamentary system, so it is difficult for a lawmaker to complete all his programs for the people, but we try to achieve what we can within the constitutional framework.” On the other hand, Fifth Constituency and former MP FaisalAl-Kandari said the legislative and executive authorities in the previous term presented radical solutions to the housing issue — one of the top priorities of citizens. He explained that citizens set the previous Parliament’s priorities, not the Parliament. He said the parliamentary Housing Affairs Committee, which he chaired for three years, took historic decisions to address this issue. “For the first time in Kuwait’s history, international companies are working on the infrastructure in new Kuwaiti cities. At the moment, 12,000 plots are being distributed to citizens while the Public Authority for Housing Welfare is signing contracts for the infrastructure in new cities. Citizens are also benefiting from the KD 30,000 building materials subsidy for the first time. In the past, the government gave certain construction materials and the citizens shouldered the additional cost. This time, they will not shell out even a single penny,” he added.By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times