By B Izzak

KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun on Thursday invited MPs to the opening session of the new parliamentary term on Oct 31 and also to a special session the following day to debate the developments in the Gaza Strip in Palestine under a Zionist entity’s barbaric attack for three weeks.

HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah will inaugurate the new term with a speech expected to focus on cooperation amid serious regional developments. His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Saadoun will also deliver speeches before the assembly elects members for permanent and temporary panels for the next year.

The special session over the Zionist entity aggression on Palestinian civilians in Gaza was demanded by 48 MPs and is expected to debate a new draft law that bans any dealing or sympathy with the Zionist entity. In the meantime, head of the assembly’s financial and economic affairs committee MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri said on Thursday that the panel has approved a host of draft laws to improve the standard of living for Kuwaiti families.

Other bills approved include raising the minimum limit of pensions for Kuwaiti citizens, doubling monthly children allowance to KD 100, raising social allowance for married Kuwaitis by KD 100 monthly, increasing the monthly cost of living allowance to KD 250 from KD 120, in addition to increasing interest-free loans for retired Kuwaitis to 21 times of pensions from seven times of those pensions.

The committee also said that efforts by the government to contain price hikes were not sufficient, said Muwaizri, adding that the panel approved a draft law to keep Kuwait Airways as a state-owned company and abolish an earlier privatization law. MP Abdulkarim Al-Kundari meanwhile sent a question to all ministers asking them about their efforts in replacing expats in government jobs with Kuwaitis. He asked the ministers for the number of Kuwaitis appointed in the place of expats since they were appointed to the post.