Kuwait MPs say no let up in grilling of ministers

A political crisis is looming in Kuwait as lawmakers have threatened to turn their questions to ministers into grilling sessions.

MP Saleh Ashoor criticised Khalid Al Rawdhan, acting state minister for youth affairs, for not replying to his question. Ashoor said he will repeat the question in the next session of the parliament.

Al Rawdhan reportedly dismissed the question as “unconstitutional”.

“If I receive the same reaction from Al Rawdhan, I will grill him,” the lawmaker said. “The minister should implement the pledge of the government to amend the sports laws, and if he fails to do it, he should hand in his resignation,” the lawmaker said, quoted by Kuwaiti daily Al Jareeda on Thursday.

However, Al Rawdhan said that he could not make empty promises and that he was ready for any questioning by the lawmaker

MPs Jamaan Al Harbesh said that cooperation between the parliament and the government should start with ministers’ replies to all the questions asked by the members of the parliament.

“Otherwise, we will get the answers using other means,” he said, hinting at the possibility of grilling ministers.

MP Ali Al Daqbasi said that by not responding to questions asked by the lawmakers, the ministers were pushing them towards tense relations with the government.

Another lawmaker, Abdul Kareem Al Kindari, said that the MPs should turn their unanswered questions into motions to grill the ministers.

MP Nasser Al Dossari said that he expected the Minister of Housing to take action against abusers before April 10.

“Everybody is complaining about housing issues and it seems there are more than 100,000 requests for housing units. However, only a few units have been provided for citizens in Western Sulaibkhat and Sabah Al Ahmad City, but deplorably, their constructions are faulty,” Al Dossari said.

“We asked questions about the contract signed by the state with the company, but we have received no answers. Our citizens are a red line and if there are no solutions to the construction faults and those who caused them are not held accountable, then we will go for the grilling. This is the last chance. Past this date, the minister will be questioned,” he said.

However, the minister, Yasser Abul, insisted that the names of the contractors and the details about the contract were available.

“There is no question that we have not answered and as regards the faulty constructions, there are reports about the measures to be taken,” he said.

“This is the last chance. Past this date, the minister will be questioned,” he said.

MP Omar Al Tabtabai said that he had sent questions to Social Development Minister Hind Al Subaih.

“Should I receive any answer that any of my questions are unconstitutional, then we will escalate the matter and we will open doors that nobody wants to see open,” he said, quoted by Al Jareeda.

The parliament was elected on November 26 and has so far enacted only one law.

The Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad has regularly called for close cooperation between the legislative and executive branches for the benefit of the nation

source : gulfnews