INDOOR CONDEMNATION OF CRACKDOWN CONTINUES

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 22: "The government will deal with the grilling of the prime minister like it has done before, as per the Constitutional framework and the law," said Minister of State for Development on Wednesday.  

"Kuwait is for all Kuwaitis and is bigger than any agenda," he stated.

Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Sabah was speaking to the press following a meeting at the National Assembly. The minister denied recent press reports that he will be part of the interpellation of His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, as a member of the government.

He stressed the importance of His Highness the Amir's message, which has called for national unity among his people. The Cabinet's reaction to the interpellation request has been positive since the grilling session was set for Dec 28.

"National unity is within every heart. We do not differentiate between Sunnis or Shiites or any tribe" Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad asserted. "Kuwait was not built with one tribe. Kuwaitis have a strong bond with one another; therefore we do not underestimate the value of any part of the community." 

Solidarity:
Meanwhile, around 1,500 Kuwaitis participated Wednesday in a seminar at the diwaniya of Khalid Al-Naif Al-Mutairi in Hadiya in solidarity with Kuwait University Law Professor Dr Obaid Al-Wasmi and columnist Khalid Al-Jassem, during which the speakers lashed out at the government and asked the authority to step down for disrespecting the people's dignity and undermining the Constitution. 

Former secretary-general of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Khalid Al-Fadallah urged the ministers to tender their resignation in the upcoming grilling of HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah; otherwise, they will be considered accomplices in the beating of MPs and other citizens.

MP Salem Namlan affirmed his support to calls for the grilling of the prime minister in an open session, saying, "We are not men if we do not support the proposed grilling of the premier in a public session, as well as the no-confidence motion against him, in respect of the Constitution and in defense of the dignity of the people. "It is a crime to instruct the Special Forces to drag Al-Wasmi from the house and beat him mercilessly. They even assaulted an innocent reporter, who was just doing his job. He is still lying in the hospital," he lamented.

MP Mubarak Al-Waalan asserted, "I am ready to resign in case my colleagues decide to submit their resignation en masse." He also expressed his disappointment over the fact that some lawmakers work only to serve their own interests rather than putting the welfare of the nation on top of their priority lists. He believes these lawmakers will push the country towards destruction.

The lawmaker also appealed to his colleagues to protect the Constitution, because without it they would not have won seats in the Parliament or attended this seminar. He also rejected the securitymen's use of force against the MPs and the journalist. He said HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah would never instruct the Special Forces to beat any citizen.

MP Falah Al-Sawagh demanded the resignation of the incumbent government and its supporters in the Parliament. He emphasized the need for the MPs to protect the Constitution; otherwise, the citizens who voted them would unseat them.

Al-Sawagh also advised the citizens to be patient and support the MPs in their bid to hold the government responsible.
MP Khalid Tahous hopes such seminars will continue in other constituencies for the government to realize that the youths are ready to protect their freedom. He called for the resignation of the government which, he stressed, is corrupt and involved in financial and administrative violations. 

MP Musallam Al-Barrak said 21 MPs have expressed their willingness to support the no-confidence motion against the prime minister. "What ever the prime minister does, he always says it is an order from the Amir. I am quite sure that the Amir did not instruct the Security Forces to beat the citizens," he asserted.

MP Al-Saifi Mubarak Al-Saifi believes the parliamentary session on Dec 28 will be historic because it concerns the Kuwaitis. He pointed out the government will be pitted against the people of Kuwait, who are stronger and more united.

Most of the speakers at the seminar praised MP Dr Aseel Awadhi for her brave stand on the issue, adding that she is equal to 10 MPs. 

Several securitymen and Special Forces were deployed in the diwaniya due to the large number of participants in the seminar. The organizers are said to have prevented a reporter and photographer from Al-Sabah daily and channel from covering the seminar and asked them to leave the place quietly.

In another development, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of State for Housing Affairs, met with the Finance and Economic Affairs Committee. The meeting discussed proposed projects that will establish a system to support small and medium sized enterprises and further fuel the local economy.

"Most world economies are supported by small enterprises. In Kuwait, they will encourage graduates into the private sector, which is an aspect we've focused on when forming the development plan," the minister commented.

Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad added that the meeting discussed various experiences by non-profit organizations in that regard and that both the legislative and the executive authority have agreed to implement mechanisms that support small and medium projects.

In regard to the mechanisms that were put in place to fund the projects of the state development plan, the minister said that the government is about to finalize the mechanisms with the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK). 

The Cabinet's half-year report on achievements it has made in the plan was also submitted to the NA. According to the minister, 25 percent of the plan has been implemented this year and it is expected 80 percent will be completed within the next two years. 

He said that 60 priority projects were submitted by the government to the national assembly, 28 of which were approved by the priorities committee. However, the pending projects will be discussed in special sessions, the minister added.

"There are projects that need long-term funding and projects that need funds in line with the traditional market economy. It is a new experience for us to change from traditional mechanisms to new ones and progress results will not immediately become apparent. However, if both authorities continue cooperating together, we will see further progress," Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad explained.

On laws pertaining to women, Al-Fahad asserted that these proposals will be given priority on the agenda of the coming sessions. "The laws concern a vital responsibility of mine, which is the Kuwaiti Women Housing Fund. It is a part of the development plan," he concluded.

Furthermore, Rapporteur of the Finance and Economic Affairs Committee, MP Abdulrahman Al-Anjari, commented that the committee has relayed its fears of Kuwait becoming an "employee country". He said that a large number of graduates per year get accepted into government jobs, and that will cost the state financially, politically and socially.

"The government did not hasten the implementation of vital economic procedures, such as the privatization law, in order to move certain activities from the public sector to the private," added Al-Anjari, stressing the need to privatize electrical and communication services as well as ports, the airport and the post office.

Along with Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, the committee also convened with the General Authority for Investment to discuss establishing a legislative and legal system, supporting small and medium sized enterprises to provide more jobs for Kuwaiti youth.

"There are numerous obstacles facing this system, one of which is the price of land that makeup 60 percent of a project's expenses. These obstacles force entrepreneurs to turn to other GCC countries for their businesses, as the price of their land makeup only 20 percent of the total cost of their project," he concluded.

© Arab Times 2010