KUWAIT: MP Omar Al-Tabtabaei yesterday threatened to file to grill ministers or the prime minister for failing to find jobs for Kuwaitis, especially hundreds of petroleum engineers who remain jobless. The lawmaker called on the government to speed up replacement of expatriates in government jobs with nationals, saying "we need expatriate expertise but this should not be at the expense of Kuwaitis".

MPs have stepped up pressure on the government to create more jobs for Kuwaitis in the public and private sectors, with most of them targeting expatriates, accusing them of taking jobs that should have gone to citizens. Tabtabaei blamed the government for letting Kuwaiti students opt for certain specializations not needed by the government and the private sector, and then making them jobless. He also blamed expatriates, saying "expats are taking the jobs of our people".

He said that he has sent a series of questions to the government asking about the number of expats appointed in the government on a daily basis or on special contracts and whose numbers do not figure in the number of regular employees. Tabtabaei said the government must ease employment requirements for petroleum engineers to allow them to be employed in the government .

Pro-government MP Khaled Al-Shatti yesterday criticized the government for appointing what he called "hawkish" members of the opposition in good jobs, giving them preference over loyalists. He said if the government wanted to appoint people from the opposition, it should have appointed more "peaceful" members and not those who had "conspired" against the government.

By B Izzak