Grilling motions still in play
Lack of quorum adjourns session
KUWAIT CITY, May 23: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim adjourned the special session on Sunday due to lack of quorum as the government had earlier declined the invitation to the session and only 23 MPs were present.
The Assembly was supposed to discuss the grilling motions against Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Economic and Investment Affairs Khalifa Hamada, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Muhammad, and Minister of Health Dr Basel Al-Sabah.
The Speaker then invited the government and MPs to the ordinary sessions slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, disclosing the agenda of the cancelled special session will be tackled in this week’s ordinary sessions as follows:
■ The grilling motion of MPs Muhammad Barrak Al-Mutair and Hamdan Al-Azmi against HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid on the selective enforcement of laws.
■ The grilling motion of MPs Hassan Jawhar, Muhannad Al-Sayer and Mehalhal Al-Mudaf against HH the Prime Minister on violating Article 98 of the Constitution that obligates the new government to submit its work plan to the Assembly upon its formation, systematic stealing of public funds and manipulating the wealth of Kuwaiti people.
■ The grilling motion of MP Musaed AlArdi against HH the Prime Minister for deliberately disrupting the work of the legislative authority.
However, the agenda which the National Assembly Secretariat General distributed to journalists stated that the legislature has approved the proposal of the government to postpone the discussion of grilling motions against HH the Prime Minister until the end of the second round of the current parliamentary term.
■ The grilling motion of MPs Ahmed Mutei Al-Azmi and Soud Bu Sleeb against Minister of Health Dr Basel Al-Sabah on the failure to deal with the coronavirus crisis, administrative and financial corruption, and failure to cooperate with the Assembly.
■ The grilling motion of MP Shuaib AlMuwaizri against Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Muhammad for violating Article 99 of the Constitution and Article 121 of the National Assembly Decree.
■ The grilling motion of MP Shuaib AlMuwaizri against Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Economic and Investment Affairs Khalifa Hamada for violating Article 99 of the Constitution and Article 121 of the National Assembly Decree.
■ Electing members of some committees to fill up vacancies.
■ Second reading of the bill on amending Audio-Visual Law number 61/2007, which was approved in its first reading on March 30, 2021.
■ Voting on the proposal to amend Print and Publication Law Number 2/2006, which was approved in its first reading on March 30, 2021.
■ Reports of parliamentary committees on various bills, such as occupying public sector jobs and nationalizing the sector.
Meanwhile, Al-Ghanim confirmed receiving the grilling motion of MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri against His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid; and that he informed the premier about the motion. The grilling motion consists of the following points:
■ Violation of Article 100 of the Constitution when the government refused to attend the special session allotted for deliberations on the grilling motions against three ministers, as this undermines the right of MPs to question ministers – a right guaranteed by the Constitution.
Article 100: (1) Every member of the National Assembly may address to the Prime Minister and to ministers interpellations with regard to matters falling within their competence.
(2) The debate on such an interpellation shall not take place until at least eight days have elapsed after its presentation, except in case of urgency and with the consent of the Minister concerned.
(3) Subject to the provisions of Articles 101 and 102, an interpellation may lead to the question of no confidence being put to the Assembly.
■ Violating Law Number 3/2016 on the establishment of Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), which obligates public officials to submit their financial disclosures within 60 days of assuming public office. Failure to do so warrants a fine of KD 5,000 maximum; while those who delay the submission for more than 90 days will be imprisoned for three years and fined KD 3,000 to 30,000.