Turmoil in Parliament

KUWAIT CITY, April 14: The National Assembly, during its supplementary session on Wednesday, approved the request of Health Minister Dr Basel Al-Sabah to postpone discussion of the grilling motion that MPs Ahmed Mutei Al- Azmi and Soud Bu Sleeb filed against him for two weeks.

A total of 34 MPs voted in favor of the request, 14 voted against and 11 abstained.

Meanwhile, several MPs gathered in the middle of the Assembly Hall to express objection to postponing the grilling motion.

Some MPs interfered to prevent a physical altercation between MPs Musaed Al-Ardi and Salman Al-Azmi, as well as between MP Thamer AlSuwait and Deputy Speaker Ahmed Al Shuhoumi. A total of 27 MPs then walked out of the session.

Upon leaving the hall, MP Abdulkareem Al-Kandari addressed HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah: “You will go on the podium willingly or unwillingly.”

This turn of events disrupted deliberations on the report of the Education, Culture and Guidance Affairs Committee on the second reading of the proposed amendment of the publishing, printing and audiovisual laws.

Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim adjourned the session.

Earlier, the opposition MPs failed to realize any of its goals during the ordinary session on Tuesday.

One of these goals is nullifying the decision of the Assembly to postpone deliberations on the grilling motions filed and yet to be filed against HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid for one and a half year.

During the session, Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim read the proposal to cancel the grilling motion that MPs Hamdan Al-Azmi and Muhammad Al-Mutair filed against HH the Prime Minister; because the grace period for the latter to request postponement of deliberations on the motion has ended.