MP Talal Al-Jallal, MP Fares Al-Otaibi and MP Majed Moussa

KUWAIT: MP Talal Al-Jallal reiterated his demands against overburdening citizens or deprive them of rights mentioned in the Kuwaiti constitution. "The government must put His Highness the Amir's words during the opening of the parliamentary term into practice," he said, noting that the recommendations made by the finance ministry on reducing subsidies were against the Amir's instructions. Expressing strong rejection to increasing fuel prices, Jallal instead welcomed any government effort to diversify sources of income instead of relying on oil as the state's sole source of national income and urged Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh to act accordingly.

Meanwhile, MP Fares Al-Otaibi stressed that he was serious about filing a grilling to the finance minister the moment the government takes a 'step forward towards lifting subsidies.' He explained that his motion would include four main points - lifting of subsidies, privatization, the Capital Markets Authority and public funds squandering by the investment authority.

Otaibi added that the government was very late in cancelling the privileges given to ministers and senior officials such as vehicles. "Nevertheless, paying ministers and senior officials a KD 250 allowance in return is a waste of public funds," he remarked.

Closed-door session

MP Majed Moussa joined lawmakers rejecting Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem's call to hold a closed-door session to discuss regional concerns and attacks on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Iran. "The Kuwaiti people have every right to know their representatives' attitudes in this matter, especially since the session will discuss the regional Iranian menace," he underlined.

In the meantime, the Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM) yesterday issued a statement condemning the Iranian attacks on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Iran. The statement stressed that those attacks come within a series of Iranian aggressions and expansions in the region and that Iran had been interfering in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and others countries along with Kuwait. "The recent arrest of an Iranian terrorist group and weapons and the arrest of a network of saboteurs and spies earlier are examples of such interference," ICM stressed, expressing full consolidation with Saudi Arabia.

By A Saleh