Panel discusses reducing military service to four months

KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al- Ahmad Al-Sabah visits new recruits at a military school to train personnel who joined conscription yesterday. — KUNA

KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said that enrolling women in the Kuwaiti army is not being discussed. Speaking to reporters after meeting with the parliamentary interior and defense committee, Sheikh Nasser said women have already joined the parliament guards and Ministry of Interior. "Why then should they be deprived of joining the defense ministry if they have a role to play in it?" he asked.

Responding to a question whether women could join the ministry as military or administrative staff, the minister stressed that nothing had been decided yet in this regard and it was up to women if they wanted to be recruited. "We cannot force them," he stressed.

Notably, the committee discussed four parliamentary proposals concerning the conscription law, namely reducing the service period from one year to only four months and reducing the annual reserve period from 35 to 15 days. The committee gave the government 15 days to respond to these proposals. Also speaking to reporters, the committee's chairman MP Askar Al-Enezi said many topics were discussed during the meeting with the minister.

Charity campaign

Kuwait Food Bank secretary Salem Al-Hamar announced launching a new one-month charity campaign to help needy families in Kuwait by donating KD 5 to provide food supplies to these families, noting that 28,000 family breadwinners had already applied with the bank. Hamar added that the bank has been working for around a year to help needy families in Kuwait with the help of benevolent people's donations.

By Meshaal Al-Enezi