By B Izzak
KUWAIT: MP Jenan Bushehri on Monday filed to grill Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Barrak Al-Sheetan over alleged violations and failure to perform the duties of his ministerial job. This is the second grilling to be filed by lawmakers to grill Cabinet ministers amid a fresh political crisis between the National Assembly and the government over a number of controversial draft legislation.
Last week, MP Mubarak Al-Hajraf filed to grill Finance Minister Abdulwahab Al-Rushaid over alleged mismanagement of Kuwait's huge investments abroad. Bushehri said she filed the interpellation after the Cabinet decided to raise the salaries of ministers by KD 6,000 monthly and the appointment of senior officials in the government, some of whom did not fulfill required conditions.
The lawmaker also accused the minister of failing to coordinate between the government and the Assembly. Bushehri, herself a former minister who resigned following a grilling in the Assembly, said she was forced to file the grilling after she felt there were two governments - one headed by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah and the other headed by Sheetan. She vowed that the grilling will be exceptional and will defend the rights of the Kuwaiti people.
Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun said he received the grilling, which will be listed on the agenda of the next regular session on Jan 24. The grilling against the finance minister is also listed for debate in the same session. Sheetan said in a brief statement that he will deal with the grilling in accordance with the constitution and the internal charter of the Assembly.
Meanwhile, five MPs submitted a draft law stipulating amendments to the voting system of the electoral law in which each Kuwaiti voter will be entitled to vote for two candidates instead of one under the current system. The government unilaterally amended the voting system in 2012, allowing voters to elect only one candidate instead of four in the previous system.
That amendment triggered street protests by the Kuwaiti opposition. On Sunday, Saadoun also proposed to amend the voting system to allow Kuwaiti voters to elect up to four candidates from within their constituencies or from other electoral districts. Also, MP Ahmad Lari yesterday proposed to increase the cost-of-living allowance for Kuwaiti employees from KD 120 to KD 300 per month to account for the rise in prices in the country.