KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday agreed with a comfortable majority to refer the grilling against Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah to the legal and legislative committee to study if it breached the constitution. Forty-six MPs voted in favour of the request made by Sheikh Ahmad at the start of a heated debate sparked by strong accusations made by MP Safa Al-Hashem, who filed the grilling along with MP Youssef Al-Zalzalah. The minister said the grilling contained a number of suspected violations of the constitution, especially with regards to allegations that former Kuwaiti MPs were accused of being members of a terror cell associated with a similar cell in the United Arab Emirates.
The minister also insisted that parts of the accusations in the grilling refer to actions that were taken before he was appointed to the post about two years ago which contradicts a ruling by the constitutional court. The parliamentary committee was given one month to discuss the grilling and find out if it breached the constitution. The postponement came as expected with the next date for debating the grilling falling after June 16 when the constitutional court is scheduled to make a very crucial verdict regarding the amendment of the electoral law. Among possible verdicts is that the court may nullify the December elections and order the dissolution of the National Assembly like it did with the previous opposition-dominated Assembly.
MPs Hashem and Zalzalah strongly objected to the minister's request to delay the grilling debate and Hashem launched a scathing attack against the minister for allegedly failing to control the security situation and not applying the law against the opposition. MP Ali Al-Omair supported the request and accused the two grillers of exaggerating the issue about the UAE terrorist cell, saying the grilling includes false information.
In another development, MPs strongly criticized former oil minister Hani Hussein who resigned to avoid questioning over the payment of a $2.2 billion penalty to US' Dow Chemical. Lawmakers also criticized the massive changes Hussein undertook in the oil sector just days before quitting his post, saying the decisions are illegal and must be stopped. MP Khaled Al-Adwah said Hussein must be referred to the ministers' trial tribunal to try him for the payment which he described as an "all-time robbery".
MP Yacoub Al-Sane said he will file a criminal lawsuit against Hussein and other oil officials who were involved in the payment of the fine. MP Saadoun Hammad said the massive reshuffle in the oil sector is illegal and the minister should not have done it when he knew he was leaving. MPs called on Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali, who is also acting oil minister, to suspend the oil appointments.
© Kuwait Times 2013
