By B Izzak

KUWAIT: HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber A-Sabah issued a decree accepting the resignation of finance minister Manaf Al-Hajeri on Wednesday. Another decree was issued to appoint Deputy Prime Minister, Oil Minister and Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investment Saad Al-Barrak as acting finance minister. Hajeri had submitted his resignation to the prime minister on Tuesday, less than a month after the formation of the new cabinet. Hajeri, who also briefly served in the previous government as finance minister, is a veteran Kuwaiti investment and financial expert.

Local media reported that Hajeri, the chairman of a local financial and investment think-tank, resigned in protest against taking Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) away from him and giving it to Barrak. KIA, Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund which manages more than $ 700 billion, mostly in international markets, has always been under the finance ministry. But the government created the portfolio for investments and moved KIA under its umbrella. Meanwhile, lawmakers on Wednesday began debating the Amiri address delivered on the Assembly’s inaugural day last month, warning against attempts to undermine national unity and urged a lasting solution for stateless people.

MP Muhalhal Al-Mudhaf called for changing the Kuwaiti political system to a full parliamentarian system based on political parties, asking how can the government create jobs for 50,000 Kuwaiti graduates in the coming few years. MP Hasan Jowhar called on the prime minister to concentrate on reforms as his top priority, adding that MPs are prepared to cooperate with him to achieve those reforms. He said Kuwait needs a vision and a team that believes in restoring Kuwait’s leadership.

MP Hamdan Al-Azemi said “crises in the country are fabricated and problems are too many”, adding that Kuwait’s democracy is incomplete and the government has the upper hand in accepting or rejecting legislation. MP Mubarak Al-Hajraf warned that certain people are attempting to undermine national unity by discriminating between citizens based on the category of their citizenship.

He warned that he will hold the Cabinet accountable if they discriminate between Kuwaitis in appointments based on the degree of their citizenship. MP Falah Al-Hajeri urged for a speedy and lasting solution for the plight of stateless people, locally known as bedoons, adding they have sacrificed their lives for the country and authorities should not make their life difficult. MP Dawood Marafie said that authorities should employ bedoons rather than recruit foreigners. The Assembly meets again on Thursday.