NA rejects diwaniya bill

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KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday rejected a draft law calling to allow citizens to build diwaniyas outside their homes on government land after a heated debate. Thirty-four MPs, including cabinet ministers, rejected the law while 26 supported it. Discussion of the law witnessed heated arguments and clashes between supporters and opponents on Tuesday, forcing speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi to adjourn the session.

During the debate yesterday, MP Mussallam Al-Barrak strongly criticized a government agency entrusted with removing all diwaniyas and structures built illegally on state land. He said the agency has failed to remove the infringements of influential people and has lied to the people of Kuwait, and called for forming a committee to probe its functioning. MP Adnan Abdulsamad warned that continued wrangling and bickering in the assembly is backfiring and making people increasingly hate democracy and parliament.

Samad said some people are loudly saying that "we don't want democracy or the assembly" because of lack of achievements. The lawmaker said that if the assembly allows diwaniyas to be built illegally "we will be issuing a law to legalize violations in this country". The assembly also rejected by the same margin a proposal to form a committee to investigate the work of the government agency because it has been selective in its work.

After that the assembly began debating the Amiri Address which was delivered by the prime minister at the inaugural session on October 21. Many MPs criticized the government failure to implement its program of action and for also failure to submit the five-year plan. State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Faisal Al-Hajji said the government will submit the plan before the end of the year as promised. State Minister for Housing and Administrative Development, Modhi Al-Humoud said the plan is part of Kuwait's endeavor to become a regional trade and financial hub by 2035.

Humoud however reminded the lawmakers that the ability of the government to achieve the goals and projects specified in its program and the five-year plan "depends on the average price of oil and public revenues in light of the global financial crisis". Kuwait initially earmarked about KD. 35 billion for mega projects in the plan which runs until 2013. The allocation was made just before the global economic crisis unfolded a few months ago.

Oil prices have dropped from over 147 dollars a barrel in July to under 55 dollars yesterday. The price of Kuwaiti oil, mostly heavy crude, dropped from around 135 dollars in July to under 50 dollars yesterday. Oil revenues are expected to drop by more than half in the second half of the current fiscal year which ends on March 31. Kuwait posted KD. 14.5 billion in the first half of the year to end of September. A number of MPs called on the government to put a timeframe for the implementation of its program.

Several MPs said that Kuwait must amend its demographic structure by reducing dependence on expatriate manpower, reduce the numbers of unskilled labor and boost the pace of replacement of foreigners by Kuwaitis. Many MPs paid a great attention to the ongoing economic crisis, especially to the heavy losses sustained by small investors in the Kuwaiti stock exchange which has shed over 40 percent in the past five months. They strongly criticized the ministers of finance and commerce and called on them to help small investors or step down. The debate of the Amiri Address will continue today.

By B Izzak

© Kuwait Times 2008