Deputy Speaker hails Constitutional Court verdict
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Essa Al-Kandari yesterday hailed a Constitutional Court order which upheld the validity of the procedures followed when he was elected to his post. “[The court’s decision] fully adheres with the constitution,” he said, describing the verdict.
Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem made the right decision when he invited MPs for a second vote to elect the Deputy Speaker after the first vote was done in the absence of the majority of MPs, Kandari said. During the first session of the current parliament, MP Jamaan AlHarbash, the other nominee for the Deputy Speaker’s post, had objected conducting a revote, and stressed that he was the winner.
Working hours
Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Mohammad Al-Jabri is expected to issue a special directive within a few days to mandate all municipality employees to be committed to official working hours, including morning, afternoon and night shifts. Informed sources explained that the directive would urge employees to respect Civil Service Commission (CSC) regulations with regards to work timings, and said that morning working hours start at 7:30 am and end at 2:30 pm, while afternoon working hours start at 2:30 pm and end at 9:30 pm. The sources added that all concerned employees would also have to use the fingerprint check in and out systems except those exempted for severe disabilities or mild mental impairments officially certified by the Public Authority for the Disabled.