MPs determined
KUWAIT CITY: A number of ministers will be grilled in case the interpellation to be filed against Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad fails, reliable sources told Al-Kuwaitiah daily.
According to sources, the lawmakers are determined to grill the prime minister, but there is a possibility of the inquest being referred to the Constitutional Court. In that case, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud will be grilled first, said the sources.
Sources say the angles of the interpellation to be submitted against Al-Humoud will focus on the illegal procedures he allegedly took against Twitter users, besides his decision to grant admission to some students in Saad Al-Abdullah Academy for Security Sciences in an attempt to please some lawmakers.
Sources said Minister of Commerce and Industry Amani Buresli too might be grilled. The interpellations will be submitted by members of the Popular Labor Bloc, Development and Reform Bloc and other independent MPs.
Assets
Meanwhile, a number of MPs and activists have asked the members of the legislative and executive authorities to declare their assets, including details of their bank accounts and real estate properties, for the people of Kuwait to know the bribe-takers.
This came at a seminar organized recently by political activist Thamer Al-Swait in his residence in Ardiya. He said the million deposit scandal has put all MPs in the circle of accusation. He claimed the government took the initial steps when it separated the people from what goes on inside the Parliament through the secret sessions.
During the seminar, MP Mubarak Al-Barrak affirmed his willingness to declare his assets, as well as that of his first and second-degree relatives, since he joined the Parliament till date. He also warned against the attempts by some groups to mix-up matters to weaken the cause.
Meanwhile, MP Faisal Al-Muslim lamented that Kuwait has been plagued by the manipulative hands of those bent on forging the nation's will. He was referring to a grilling request against HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on the State Audit Bureau report about the alleged misappropriation of public funds.
MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei argued this is a crisis of morals, while MP Daifallah Buramiya criticized the government for not announcing the names of those who have been referred to the Public Prosecution. He alleged the government is now pushing the names of opposition MPs to cause confusion and tarnish the image of the constitutional institution in order to convince the people on the dissolution of the Parliament.
Corruption
The approval of the assets declaration bill is vital in combating corruption, especially after the emergence of allegations that millions of dinars have been deposited into the bank accounts of some lawmakers, said the participants in a seminar organized recently by the Kuwait Alumni Society.
Under the slogan "Corruption has Destroyed the Country...Voice of Civil Society Institutions", the seminar focused on the corruption issue in the country, with the participation of several non-government organizations (NGOs) and civil society institutions.
During the seminar, the participants called on the concerned authorities to ensure approval of the assets declaration bill and transparency in dealing with the issue for the citizens to know the truth.
Board Chairperson of the Women's Social Cultural Society Sheikha Al-Nisf opened the seminar by discussing ways too encourage citizens to perform their national duties well to curb the spread of corruption in public institutions, including the legislature. "We have always known that corruption is prevalent in many State institutions but it is no longer acceptable if it pervades the legislature, especially since the people voted for the lawmakers as their representatives. These lawmakers are supposed to guarantee more freedom and justice for the citizens. If the legislative institution is corrupt, then the values and principles we have worked for are shaken," she asserted.
Criticized
On the other hand, Chairman of the Kuwait Society for Public Fund Protection Ahmed Al-Obaid criticized the Central Bank of Kuwait and the Cabinet for their failure to clear doubts after the publication of reports on the million deposit scam. He pointed out the government and other related departments lack the ability to deal with issues efficiently.
Kuwait Transparency Society Chairman Salah Al-Ghazali said Kuwait signed the United Nations Anti-Corruption Agreement in 2003 and promised to pass the law within a month at the beginning of 2011 but nothing has been done in this regard until now. He revealed a total of 24 lawmakers, 20 NGOs and unions have reached an agreement to adopt a draft bill on the establishment of a public authority for accountability. He stressed the need for the Parliament to enact anti-corruption bills, instead of focusing on the submission of grilling requests.
Moreover, Kuwait Alumni Society Chairman Saud Al-Anazi believes the million deposit scandal is a clear indication of the dangerous stage the country is currently passing through. He lamented Kuwait has been experiencing one crisis after another over the years and this necessitates a sort of national awakening for the people to get their acts together in combating corruption before it is too late.
Al-Anazi said governments in other countries resign immediately after being implicated in a scandal, whether their involvement is proven true or not, but the Kuwaiti government behaves like nothing has happened and it has remained silent over the scam.
Kuwait Human Rights Society (KHRS) representative Amer Al-Tamimi stressed this scandal makes it appear that the country has no legislative authority. He called for the ratification of laws on protecting public funds and curbing financial violations.
© Arab Times 2011
