KUWAIT: MP Majed Al-Mutairi yesterday filed a proposed bill to protect Bedoon (stateless) people's civil and social rights, said informed sources, noting that Mutairi called for officially using the description 'Stateless' as a nationality in official documents, and granting dependents residency visas as long as their sponsors hold valid ones and as long as they were born in Kuwait. The lawmaker also asks that the government grant Bedoons civil IDs with five-year renewable validity by which a holder will have access to free medical treatment, free education including higher education, issue birth and death certificates and register marriage, divorce and inheritance, all types of drivers licenses, passports and travelling documents, retirement and social security, the right to choose between working for the public or private sectors and the right of land ownership.

Briefs from parliament

MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri said that many issues had been suspended during the summer vacation though many financial violations existed in various government bodies. Muwaizri also warned that the coming parliamentary term would be a 'hot' one because the executive power violations continued. He also said that the parliament should call for filing no-confidence motions against any minister with violations under his jurisdiction.

Further, Muwaizri promised to grill the minister of social affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh over issues involving the disabled, widows, coops and manpower. He also noted that he would grill the oil minister because he was 'uncooperative' and does not deserve to remain in office. "Citizen Essam Al-Mehaid recently exposed violations and thefts at the oil ministry and reported to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation's (KPC) CEO who did nothing but dismiss Mehaid himself," the lawmaker explained, adding that another citizen, Fraij Al-Fraij, was also being harassed because he refused a bribery offered by a contractor.

Literary doctors to be investigated

Health Minister Dr Jamal Al-Harbi recently ordered the formation of a special committee to investigate the topic of doctors who had finished high school in the literary section. Kuwait's high school system is divided into two sections: literary and scientific. Having a high school degree from the scientific is a prerequisite to studying medicine according to Kuwait's academic system. Harbi also stressed that a doctor should hold a degree from an international university or a college accredited in Kuwait. "The whole image is not yet clear and the information still needs to be verified with the ministry of higher education", he underlined. On another concern, Harbi issued decision number 367/2017 on amending article one of the ministerial decision number 466/19987 pertaining to regulating work at polyclinics as well as adjusting the authorities of clinics' managers who would be deputized for two renewable years.

Massage parlor 'cabins' to be inspected

Kuwait Municipality's Director Ahmad Al-Manfouhi announced instructing all municipality emergency teams to impose regulation number 87/2015 pertaining with public stores in terms of removing all doors on cabins and rooms in various spas and massage parlors. In this regard, the capital municipality emergency team leader Zaid Al-Azmi said that inspection campaigns would commence on October 1st to make sure that those doors, if any were used, matched the regulations of not exceeding the height of one meter and that they should leave a space of 50 centimeters above the ground. Al-Azmi added that violators would receive three-day notices to remove violations to avoid further penal measures and closure.

By A Saleh