MPs side-up on Aseeri Cabinet pick

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KUWAIT CITY, Dec 18: Headed by the National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim, the National Assembly Office convened a meeting to approve the agenda for the upcoming session scheduled to be held on Dec 24.

Speaking to the press, the National Assembly Observer MP Naif Al-Mirdas said the newly appointed ministers will take their constitutional oaths during that session, followed by the formation of temporary committees and several investigation committees, adding that the response to the speech delivered by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah during the inauguration of the current legislative term will also be discussed during the session.

Meanwhile, MP Ahmed Al- Fadhl disclosed that the objections raised by a number of MPs concerning the appointment of Dr Ghadeer Aseeri as the Minister of Social Affairs are aimed at electoral gains and publicity. He stressed that the issue is not limited to expression of dissatisfaction or objection but exceeds that to creation of disputes.

MP Al-Fadhl revealed that he is not completely convinced about the new government formation, but it does not mean it calls for threats of interpellation. He highlighted that the formation of the government is the right of the Prime Minister as per the Constitution, and not the right of the MPs, insisting that the stances of these MPs are in violation of Article 50 of the Constitution which stipulates the importance of separation among the different authorities.

MP Al-Fadhl insisted that a minister must be questioned about their performance after they take the oath, and not for their personal opinions, especially those expressed more than seven years ago. He said he wondered whether those who are making a big issue about this now are the same individuals who kept claiming they are freedom defenders, adding that they completely changed their stances when it came to their opponents.

MP Al-Fadhl warned against responding to such demands, stressing that this will open doors that cannot be closed for the objections. He said, “If Dr Al-Aseeri apologizes, it will mean she does not deserve to occupy the ministerial position. And if His Highness the Prime Minister apologizes for his choice, this will imply a weak start”.

In this regard, MP Khalid Hussein Al-Shatti affirmed that Dr Al-Aseeri will attend the oathtaking session despite the objections. He asserted that everyone has the right to express their opinion, but the objectors revealed the truth that they have tried to hide, adding that they have proven that they were not honest when they adopted slogans of supporting freedom of expression, and that they wanted such a freedom to be exclusively for them.

Meanwhile, MP Riyadh Al-Adasani submitted a parliamentary question to His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah about the government’s strategy for dealing with a number of issues related to corruption. He enquired about the procedures taken to bring the former director general of Public Institution for Social Security Fahd Al-Raja’an back to Kuwait, indicating that final court verdicts have already been issued against him by the British Judiciary.

MP Al-Adasani stressed that the lawsuits on corruption do not expire with the passing of time. He asked for information about the lawsuit concerning the growing bank deposits of a number of MPs as well as the issues of Kuwait Ports Investment Fund and the lawsuit of “Hospitality of Ministry of Interior”.

Al-Adasani addressed His Highness the Prime Minister by saying, “You have asked the citizens to disclose information on incidents involving corruption, but there are plenty of existing cases that need to be followed up.”

In another development, five MPs submitted a bill for the protection of Arabic language in every governmental authority in the country by obligating the use of Arabic in every single official business of the state. These MPs are Osama Al-Shaheen, Mubarak Al-Hajraf, Mohammed Al-Dallal, Abdullah Fahad, and Khalil Abdullah.

According to Article 2 of the bill, all ministries and governmental authorities are obligated to use Arabic language during all their meetings and deliberations as well as in their documents and publications such as brochures and advertisements, including both audio and visual.

This obligation also falls on all cooperative societies, charity organizations and sports clubs. As for legislation, the bill stipulates in article 3 that Arabic language must be used exclusively in their composition, but translated versions can be issued if they are aimed to benefit the general public.

The bill consists of 15 Articles that cover almost every aspect of the country, including hotels, restaurants and other entertainment venues. This bill obligates Kuwait Municipality to ensure menus, prices and customer services are available in Arabic. Local institutions and companies with financial, scientific, industrial, entertainment and other such practices are to be named in Arabic.

However, foreign companies and institutions of internationally renowned brands and services are allowed to keep their names, provided they are written in Arabic in equal font and size like the original names.

A maximum penalty of KD 1,000 will be imposed for any violation against any article of this bill, given that the nature of violation is not punishable by other laws currently implemented.

Furthermore, MP Abdul Kareem Al-Kandari submitted a letter to the National Assembly requesting for a special session to discuss what he called “loose traffic security”. He said this problem has led to the loss of numerous lives, and countless more will follow if this problem is not dealt with effectively. Therefore, the MP called for a special session in order to encourage the National Assembly to take a stance concerning the “loose” enforcement of traffic regulations and laws.

In addition, MP Khalid Al-Otaibi said refraining from informing applicants for the position of experts in Ministry of Justice about their results of the online tests currently being held is against the rules of transparency, and could lead to repetition of the catastrophe of cancelling the appointment of a whole batch of experts by the court in the future. He called upon the government to correct the mistake in order to uphold principles of justice, transparency and equal opportunities.

By Ahmed Al-Naqeeb and Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff

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