"We were at the Petitions and Complaints Committee meeting held earlier to look into the allegations.  We heard the explanation of a delegation led by Al-Olaim from the oil sector and we have not found any violation on the Public Tenders Law or any other law for that matter," Al-Sane asserted. Agreeing that MPs have the right to question ministers, Al-Sane said the Parliament, as a supervisory body, has the all the right to use its constitutional tools to grill ministers but this should be done in an objective manner to protect Kuwait's democracy. Admitting the issue is linked with conflicts among influential political and economic personalities, Al-Sane stressed he fully supports the Parliament in its bid to activate its supervisory role. However, he believes, this should go hand-in-hand with the government and allowing other supervisory bodies, especially the Audit Bureau, to carry out their tasks efficiently.  This, he added, is the stand of Al-Olaim who is for his distinguished performance in protecting public funds.

Protecting
"If the parliamentary action is aimed at protecting public funds, then we will fully support it.  However, if it is a manifestation of personal grudges against Al-Olaim, we will strongly oppose it since the interests of Kuwait and its people are on top of our priorities," Al-Sane added.

Meanwhile, acting Speaker of the Parliament Roudhan Al-Roudhan hopes Al-Olaim will refer the fourth refinery issue to the Audit Bureau to clarify all the controversies surrounding the project.  He said MPs have nothing personal against Al-Olaim as they are only after discovering the truth for the sake of the people.

On the other hand, MP Abdullatif Al-Ameeri commended Al-Olaim for announcing his plan to refer the issue to the Audit Bureau.  He affirmed this is a positive step taken in line with the demands of Parliament.

"Referring the issue to the Audit Bureau is the only way to end the exchange of accusations between the MPs and government through the media.  MPs will fully support the project provided all the allegations are proven false," Al-Ameeri stated.

Calling on his colleagues and the government not to instigate conflicts over the issue, Al-Ameeri underscored the need for both authorities to wait for the results of the bureau's investigations before issuing any statement in this regard.

Commenting on accusations that the Popular Labor Bloc has vested interests in the project, Al-Ameeri lamented it is disheartening to hear people accusing members of the bloc of having personal interest in the project.  He challenged the bloc's detractors to come out in the open and present documents proving their allegations.

Blamed
Meanwhile, MP Abdullatif Al-Ameeri on Wednesday blamed Ministry of Health (MoH) Undersecretary Dr Essa Al-Khalifa -- whose resignation the Cabinet approved earlier this week -- for the deterioration of health services in the country.

"Al-Khalifa is a major player in the worsening situation of the local health sector since he is one of the high-ranking officials in charge of the sector.  His resignation came at the right time as he has repeatedly proven his inability to address the country's health problems," Al-Ameeri pointed out.  He then called for the appointment of a highly competent replacement for Al-Khalifa, who has the ability to improve the quality of health services and rectify flaws in the ministry.  He also expressed his full support to Health Minister Ali Al-Barrak's decision to accept the undersecretary's resignation.

Commenting on the complaints of some citizens regarding the method used for the distribution of 'Ramadan gifts', Al-Ameeri said many people took the issue out of context, considering this is not a step to curb the rising prices of goods but a proposal approved by the Parliament to lessen the burdens of residents.

Emphasizing the need for impartiality when the government is coordinating with the Parliament on the implementation of the legislative authority's recommendations, Al-Ameeri is confident that the measures taken by Commerce and Industry Minister Ahmed Baqer on the price increase issue will yield positive results, if given more time.

Asked about the stand of Al-Salafi Islamic Group on the proposed grilling of Minister of Education and Higher Education Nuriya Al-Subaih, Al-Ameeri confirmed the group will announce its opinion on any grilling request once the concerned minister is proven guilty of the accusations.

On another issue, MP Mohammad Al-Abduljader commended the Public Authority for Social Security (PASS) for its decision to shoulder the subscription of retirees in the third telecommunications company.  He also urged Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali to lay down a mechanism to ensure that all segments of the Kuwaiti society are given a chance to own shares in the company.

By Abubakar A. Ibrahim

© Arab Times 2008

 

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