MPs slam govt, raise juvenile age
The National Assembly yesterday overwhelmingly passed its first legislation to increase the juvenile age from 16 years to 18 years, scrapping the existing law that was passed by the previous pro-government Assembly. Opposition MPs strongly lashed out at the government and the former interior minister for using the previous pro-government Assembly to pass legislation for political purposes like the one that reduced the juvenile age from 18 to 16 years despite breaching the constitution and international treaties.
During the debate, pro-government and opposition MPs traded harsh words and blamed each other for the wrong decisions. MP Abdullah Al-Roumi said the reduction of the juvenile age in the previous Assembly was politically motivated and aimed at confronting the young people who took part in opposition-led protests to reject the single-vote law and the issue of political bribes. He said legislation should not be issued as a reaction.
MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei said the juvenile legislation was aimed at cracking down on teenagers who took part in processions and public rallies. He charged the government and the previous Assembly of having what he called “legislation diarrhea” for issuing a large number of defected laws that the current Assembly must rectify.
MP Hamdan Al-Azemi said he opposed the juvenile law in the previous Assembly and accused the government of being contradictory. He said the government is continuing with its policy in the previous Assembly and is not respecting the current Assembly, adding that it appointed former information minister Sheikh Salman AlHmoud Al-Sabah as head of the civil aviation after he was forced to resign by MPs.
MP Adel Al-Damkhi said a host of laws like the DNA test law, increasing the detention period and the juvenile law, which were passed by the previous Assembly, all need to be amended. Islamist opposition MP Jamaan Al-Harbash said the Assembly has not passed any legislation so far because “we decided to start with the key laws that influence political life in the country and that is why we are facing stiff resistance”.
He said amending legislation like the nationality law, barring convicts from running for public office and amending the voting system all will impact the political setup. Harbash warned that if the interior minister does not end the so-called security checkups on young people seeking jobs, he will be questioned.
During the debate, MPs Khalil Abul and Tabtabaei clashed over criticizing the previous Assembly and Deputy Speaker Essa Al-Kandari adjourned the session after he could not establish law and order in the Assembly chamber. The lawmakers also clashed with Justice Minister Faleh Al-Azab over the Anti-Corruption Authority, with MP Riyadh Al-Adasani saying he will propose that the authority come under the National Assembly instead of being under the government. The next session will be held next week.