Kuwait: prime minister orders charges against MPs to be dropped March 17, 2021 at 3:20 pm | Published in: Coronavirus, Kuwait, Middle East, News
The then-Foreign Minister of Kuwait, Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah at a press conference on 28 December 2016 [Murtadha Sudani/Anadolu Agency] March 17, 2021 at 3:20 pm
Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid has ordered that charges against a number of Kuwait s MPs should be dropped. The MPs in question were caught celebrating their wins in the latest parliamentary election in breach of restrictions on gatherings imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Yesterday, prosecutors summoned 38 MPs, including former National Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun and current Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim, for breaching the pandemic regulations.
PM absence regretted
KUWAIT CITY, March 11: The parliamentary Education, Culture and Guidance Affairs Committee on Wednesday approved bills regarding the allowance of Kuwaitis studying at Kuwait University and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), as well as those on local scholarship.
Committee Chairman MP Hamad Al-Matar disclosed that they approved the proposal to increase the allowance from KD200 to KD300 per month; as well as the suggestion to add male Kuwaiti students married to non-Kuwaitis, Bedouns and children of Kuwaiti women married to non- Kuwaitis to the beneficiaries of the allowance.
He explained that Bedouns were added to the beneficiaries, taking into consideration their small number and the need to support them as their success in pursuing higher studies implies they are excellent and dedicated students. In another development, the Budgets and Final Accounts Committee on Wednesday tackled two issues – profits retained by several publ
Chair rule at burials challenged
KUWAIT CITY, March 8: The decision of the Interior Ministry to refer 140 citizens, including 16 MPs, to the Public Prosecution for participating in the press conference held recently in the house of MP Badr Al-Dahoum and for violating health regulations provoked the ire of several MPs.
MP Badr Al-Dahoum
MPs Badr Al-Dahoum and Muhammad Al-Mutair disclosed that they will submit a grilling motion against HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid on only one issue – selective enforcement of the law. A total of 15 MPs have declared support for the grilling motion so far. Al-Dahoum confirmed that he met Minister of Interior Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali shortly before the event and they agreed to turn the supposed expression of support gathering into a press conference.
Messenger
KUWAIT CITY, March 7: The parliamentary Human Resources and Public Funds Protection committees were set to meet on Sunday to discuss various bills and reports. Items in the agenda of the Human Resources Committee include bills on nationalizing jobs in the public sector; such as that of MP Abdulkareem Al-Kandari on obligating ministries, public institutions and independent authorities to replace expatriate workers with Kuwaitis within one year. According to the bill, vacant posts in the abovementioned entities should never be filled with expatriates unless no Kuwaiti applies for the job. In such case, it is possible to hire expatriates, but they should be under temporary contracts which will be renewed annually if necessary. Every entity should regularly submit reports on vacancies without Kuwaiti applicants to the concerned authorities in order to determine the reasons why no citizen applies for the job.
Sheikh Nawaf approved a new Cabinet on Tuesday that faces the task of tackling a liquidity crunch caused by low oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic.
The previous government resigned in January amid a stand-off with parliament that posed the first big political challenge to the emir since he assumed power.
Oil Minister Mohammad
Al Fares, Finance Minister Khalifa Hamade and Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al Sabah were reappointed in the new Cabinet.
The previous government’s resignation came after more than 30 members of the 50-seat National Assembly supported a motion to question Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid on several issues, including his choice of ministers.