KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti political group issued a statement yesterday commenting on the recent suicide of a young bedoon man in Jahra. In its statement, the Kuwait Democratic Forum (KDF) demanded accelerating the procedures needed to grant citizenship to eligible bedoons as soon as possible and finding a fair and humane solution to provide this sect of the society with their basic human rights of education, medical services and decent living conditions.

KDF stressed that the issue transcends being just a case of a bedoon committing suicide, which is alarmingly indicating that both the legislators and the executives have so far failed to reach any accepted solution for this 'chronic' problem. KDF added that stateless people live on the margins of the state, society and institutional frameworks regardless of their humane circumstances or legal protection.

"Many of them face compelling living conditions," the statement added, noting that they cannot find suitable jobs, and when they do, those jobs do not pay well enough to provide for a decent life for their families, needless to mention the fees they have to pay for education, which hinders many of them from going to university. KDF urged all officials to be up to their responsibilities and set the needed laws and legislations to undo the imminent danger threatening bedoons.

Final procedures
The Kuwait hajj mission is currently finishing the final procedures before heading to Saudi Arabia to start receiving Kuwaiti pilgrims there, well-informed sources said. The sources added that the mission will leave in two groups on July 26 and most probably July 28, so that the mission's members can get prepared for the upcoming hajj season. The sources said the mission usually comprises of elements from a number of ministries and government bodes including the ministries of awqaf, information, interior, foreign affairs and health, in addition to the youth and sports authority and fire department. In addition, the sources said representatives from the abovementioned bodies will meet with the head of the mission and awqaf ministry undersecretary Fareed Emadi to discuss the needed preparations.

By A Saleh