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Cabinet backs new law to privatise Kuwait Airways - Bedoon roadmap unveiled - Women closer to becoming attorneys

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The Cabinet approved an amended draft law yesterday paving the way for the privatisation of Kuwait Airways within three years, state-run news agency KUNA reported, after restructuring at the troubled carrier delayed the original plan. The National Assembly first approved a plan to privatise the loss-making Kuwait Airways Corp (KAC) in 2008, but the process has been repeatedly held up. Under the new draft law, which still needs to be approved by the Assembly, the government still plans to offer a 35 percent stake in the airline to companies on the country's stock exchange and to "specialised" local or international firms.

This auction should happen within the next three years, Communications Minister Salem Al-Athaina said. The stake would go to the highest bidder and the shares would not be allowed to be traded for three years. The carrier will change its name to Kuwait Airways Company and be a shareholding firm "which would consequently own all assets and properties of KAC", KUNA said. The government will retain a 20 percent stake, as previously planned, while 5 percent will be distributed to KAC employees "equally and for free". A further 40 percent will be allotted in the same way to citizens registered with the Public Authority for Civil Information, the Kuwaiti body that issues civil identity cards. They would not be allowed to trade the shares for one year.

The original plan had proposed selling a 40 percent stake to the public. It had also envisioned a price of around $282 million for the 35 percent stake offered to a long-term investor, seen by some analysts as too high. KAC employees that did not want to work for the new company or be reassigned to the government would be offered a three-year salary pay-off, KUNA said.

Meanwhile, the head of the government agency on stateless people or bedoons Saleh Al-Fadhalah yesterday explained to the Assembly's interior and defense committee the agency's "roadmap" to resolve the decades-old problem of bedoons. Fadhalah described the meeting as successful, adding that he understands that members of the committee have appreciated his plan which envisages to grant Kuwaiti citizenship to more than 30,000 bedoons who or their forefathers were counted in the 1965 census.

He said that he told the committee that he would like to see the problem resolved as soon as possible but due to "bureaucratic" paperwork, it will take some time. The official also stated that almost all those who figure in the 1965 census will be naturalized except those who have "security" objections against them. Several hundred bedoons, especially children of divorced or widowed Kuwaiti women, were granted Kuwaiti citizenship in the past few weeks and more of this category will be announced soon, according to Fadhalah.

Head of the committee MP Nayef Al-Merdas said MPs are optimistic that the problem will be resolved, adding that they were informed that the agency is certain that 70,000 of the 105,000 bedoons carry other nationalities and accordingly will not be naturalized. The solution envisages to provide most of these bedoons, especially those who reveal their identity, with incentives like free residence permits and free public services for several years. Since February last year, thousands of bedoons have staged sporadic mass rallies to demand citizenship and other basic human rights. Police repeatedly clashed with them and hundreds were arrested. At least 150 bedoons are on trial for protesting.

In another major development, the administrative court yesterday scrapped a decision by the ministry of justice against a female lawyer who applied to work as a legal researcher but her application was rejected. The court ruling is significant because it will force the ministry to appoint her in the position which allows her to become a public attorney in the future which will set a precedence in Kuwait.
Authorities have so far rejected attempts by Kuwaiti females to be appointed in the public prosecution or in the judiciary, saying this is unacceptable under Islamic sharia. The woman who filed the lawsuit said in her complaint that the ministry's decision to reject her application breached the Kuwaiti constitution which equates between males and females.

The Assembly's legal and legislative committee yesterday began discussing a host of draft laws for combating corruption, rapporteur of the panel MP Mohammad Al-Dallal said. Dallal said that the committee reviewed with government representatives more than 30 bills - all calling for combating corruption in addition to a comprehensive government-sponsored draft law. He said that the committee decided to discuss the government's bill as the basis for the anti-corruption legislation and its next meeting will be held on May 6.

MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji meanwhile asked the interior minister about the number of Iranian females who entered Kuwait on business, tourist or family visas from Jan 1, 2007 until the end of 2011. He also demanded a list of those who sponsored them. The lawmaker also demanded the number and names of Iranian females who were granted temporary residence after the duration of their visas expired and demanded the name of the interior ministry official who approved the transfer. Turaiji demanded the number and names of Iranian females who were granted temporary residence permits in order to allow them complete marriage procedures "in violation with the purpose of their entry into Kuwait", and asked for the number of Iranian females who are on domestic residence permits.

© Kuwait Times 2012

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