The National Assembly

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem said yesterday that the current Assembly term, which has been marred with controversy and disputes, will come to an end tomorrow. He said that he has received an Amiri Decree calling to end the current assembly term on July 1 and the term will be closed after discussing the financial status of the country. Ghanem said that he has received five motions to hold a special session to discuss a number of issues and he will invite MPs to hold the session today.

During the special session, issues like amending the election law and amending a law that bars people convicted of insulting HH the Amir from contesting elections. The opposition has also submitted a motion to discuss changes to the country's nationality law to allow administrative courts to look into complaints related to citizenship, currently prohibited under the law.

Based on the speaker's statements, the Assembly will not discuss a motion submitted by opposition MPs calling to give priority to debate grillings against ministers ahead of grilling HH the prime minister. The motion was supposed to be discussed on July 6. Ghanem meanwhile denied claims by opposition MPs that the government will impose taxes and raise charges on public services through emergency Amiri decrees during the recess of the Assembly.

Two MPs yesterday submitted a proposal calling on authorities to grant Kuwaiti citizenship to father and brothers of Saudi policeman Abdulaziz Mohammad Al-Rasheedi, who was brutally killed by an Arab national on Monday. The Arab first stabbed his own Kuwaiti mother to death before driving to another area. As Rasheedi tried to stop him, the murderer hit him and then stabbed him to death. A number of lawmakers had already called for honoring the family of the deceased by granting his relatives the Kuwaiti citizenship.

MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji said yesterday he has sent a question to the interior minister asking him if the government had received lists of names of Kuwaiti citizens who hold other nationalities. Turaiji said he has learned that a Gulf state has submitted to Kuwait, lists of names of Kuwaiti citizens holding other nationalities, banned under law, and names of stateless people who hold nationality of other countries. The lawmaker asked the minister if the lists include names of current and former MPs and senior government officials.