Ex-MP vows grill carry-over on education
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KUWAIT CITY, Oct 30: Second Constituency candidate and former MP Ouda Al- Ruwaie has threatened to grill Minister of Education and Higher Education Bader Al- Essa on the alleged administrative violations in his ministry in case he remains in his post.
In a press conference recently, Al-Ruwaie disclosed he does not expect any change in the formation of the next Parliament but there will be changes in blocs. He believes that political work is a group effort rather than individual.
Talking about his constituency, Al-Ruwaie stressed the door of competition is almost a done deal — up to 60 percent. He affirmed that competition over the remaining four seats is still open so all candidates have a chance.
With a total of 61 candidates in his constituency, Al-Ruwaie expects 10 candidates to withdraw and 10 of the remaining 51 candidates will get not more than 200 votes so the real competition will be among 41 candidates.
On the no-confidence vote and grilling requests, the former lawmaker asserted grilling is a tool for reform and uncovering mistakes. He said some of the interpellation requests in the previous Parliament achieved the purpose of modifying the political path for the ministers and MPs.
On his plan to grill the minister of education, he explained that he was about to submit the grilling motion when the Parliament was dissolved.
He added he will push through with the grilling in the next Parliament in case the minister remains in his post. If a new education minister is appointed, he will present contents of the interpellation for the minister to either correct the mistakes or stand on the grilling podium.
He emphasized the need for a strong and powerful government for the economy to grow, while urging the people of Kuwait to choose honest and strong parliamentarians. Meanwhile, former MP Abdullah Al-Nebari thinks the next Parliament will not differ from its predecessor because a big number of the former MPs will be re-elected.
He claimed the government’s failure to abide by the law led to violations and chaos. He cited the low level of political awareness and culture among the voters as they usually choose a candidate based on tribal and sectarian affiliations, family interests, and personal benefits they could get if their preferred candidate wins.
He added, “No matter how shabby or painful the discussions in our legislature, the experiences of Parliaments in democratic countries are worse than ours. The latest of which were the attacks that Hillary Clinton faced in the US Congress and the US Senate. This is in addition to what Margaret Thatcher faced in the British Parliament. The problem here lies in the weakness and shortcomings of the government as well as the spread of corruption and bribery.” He pointed out that the trend in parliamentary elections in Kuwait and its legislature is individualism — individual candidate and individual member.
In democratic societies, Parliaments and governments are formed out of political parties which are based on alliances between Parliament members and civil society organizations, he added. He said candidates must be honest and have integrity as specifi ed in the Constitution. Add to these characteristics the cleanliness and purity of conscience, so the electoral programs of candidates must include a clear vision in the interest of the country and its people, he concluded.
By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times Staff
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