Government agrees with parliament to contain repercussions

Kuwaiti MPs and government officials agreed on Tuesday to respect the orders of their country’s Emir during a meeting held between the legislative and executive authorities to discuss the repercussions of the escape of some al-Abdali terrorist cell members from prison.

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah urged MPs to shoulder responsibilities toward national unity, Kuwaiti’s National Assembly Speaker said on Tuesday.

Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim said after the meeting: “I presented to the meeting a message from His Highness the Emir, in which he signaled the critical and extraordinary regional circumstances, emphasizing that the MPs must shoulder their responsibilities and refrain from getting involved in Kuwait’s external ties with regional states.”

The Speaker also said that MPs must also assume the national responsibility of safeguarding national unity and abstaining from action that might cause division among the people, Kuwait’s news agency KUNA said.

Al-Ghanim quoted the Kuwaiti Emir as saying he is well aware of the hazards and fears preoccupying the MPs and Kuwaiti people.

In return, members of the National Assembly affirmed their commitment to preserving the society’s unity and pledged not to make inflammatory statements.

The Speaker said that during Tuesday’s meeting, Kuwait’s first deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah spoke about regional issues and Kuwait’s mediation among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and hoped that the Emir’s efforts would result in tackling the inter-GCC rift.

The meeting also addressed the case of Al-Abdali cell.

On July 20, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador Alireza Enayati to inform him about its decision to expel 15 Iranian diplomats and to close down the Iranian cultural mission with other affiliated offices in the country.

The decision came after 16 terrorist suspects belonging to al-Abdali terror cell escaped to Iran by sea in speedboats.

According to information provided by Kuwait’s Interior Minister, the 16 terrorist suspects were still inside the country.

Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Acting Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah also said on Tuesday that the meeting between the government and parliament was “very positive and fruitful,” adding that “the government briefed the deputies on all details it had regarding al-Abdali cell case.”