Opposition MPs walk out as new ministers take oath
VAT law referred to finance panel • Minister warned over expat health fees
KUWAIT: About 11 opposition MPs walked out of a National Assembly session yesterday - the first regular meeting since the term opener on Oct 25 - when new Cabinet ministers began taking the oath to become members of the Assembly. The lawmakers were protesting against the government for taking no action towards the jailing of two opposition MPs - Jamaan AlHarbash and Waleed Al-Tabtabaei - after they were convicted for storming the Assembly in Nov 2011. The lawmakers protested the fact that their colleagues were sent to jail although they still enjoyed parliamentary immunity.
MP Adel Al-Damkhi submitted a letter on behalf of the opposition MPs criticizing the inaction of the Assembly and the government over the jailing of the two lawmakers. Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghnem said he discussed the issue with the Assembly’s constitutional experts and it was decided to refer the letter to the legal and legislative committee.
Damkhi criticized the interior ministry for arresting the two MPs even though they are members of the Assembly. Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah said the ministry did not arrest Harbash or Tabtabaei, as they gave themselves up to police, while a third MP, Mohammad Al-Mutair, is still outside the country.
During the debate, the Assembly agreed to refer a draft law on value-added tax (VAT) to the financial and economic affairs committee from the legal committee to study the contents of the law, which is part of the GCC agreement. The VAT law stipulates imposing a five percent tax on almost all products to raise non-oil revenues. Saudi Arabia and UAE are planning to start imposing the tax in January, while Kuwait must get the approval of the Assembly before imposing it.
During the session, MP Khalil Al-Saleh called on the new health minister Sheikh Basel Al-Sabah to study the decision raising medical charges on expatriates “very carefully”. The warning came after the minister said the decision will be reevaluated after three months of imposing it. The Assembly also rejected with a comfortable majority a request to establish a committee for combating vice and promoting virtue, as only 17 MPs out of 47 present approved the request.
Several MPs opposed to the committee said there was no need for it as it did not do anything in the past.
The Assembly then approved two motions to debate the US decision to transfer its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and national reconciliation. The first topic was debated, while the other was deferred until today. Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah briefed the Assembly about the measures Kuwait has taken against the US decision and the contacts made by the government. MPs who spoke praised HH the Amir and the government for the measures taken to support Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.