By B Izzak
KUWAIT: MP Jenan Bushehri said on Sunday she has decided to grill Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Essa Al-Kandari over "exceptional” salaries given by the government to some ministers and senior officials. The filing and debate of the grilling will be during the month of October when the National Assembly opens its new term after concluding the summer recess.
Bushehri had also threatened to grill Kandari in the previous Assembly, which was nullified by the constitutional court. The lawmaker said on Sunday that the government did not understand her message and continued its wrong policy in awarding current and former senior officials additional salaries in violation of the law. If submitted, the grilling will be the first in the Assembly elected on June 6.
Meanwhile, MPs Hamad Al-Alyan and Abdulwahab Al-Essa submitted a draft law calling on the government to bear the expenses of all Kuwaiti master’s and doctorate students admitted in authorized universities. The expenses include fees, travel, accommodation, healthcare and other overheads. Five other MPs also submitted another draft law calling to increase monthly assistance to Kuwaiti university students to KD 300 from the current KD 200.
Under the bill, students studying rare specializations and outstanding students will get KD 350 per month. The draft law states that in addition to Kuwaiti students, children of Kuwaiti women and stateless students will benefit from the assistance. Also, MP Abdullah Fahhad said on Sunday that Defense Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah has agreed to increase the retirement age of bedoons in the army to 65 years from 60.