MP Dr Abdulrahman Al-Jeeran

KUWAIT: Islamist MP Abdulrahman Al-Jeeran said yesterday that he will submit a request to grill Education Minister Bader Al-Issa over a variety of issues including plans to change school syllabus and administrative decisions. Jeeran's announcement raises the number of ministers threatened with questioning to around six. They include the ministers of social affairs and labor, commerce and industry, finance, oil and minister of public works in addition to education minister.

The lawmaker said that the grilling will be filed at the start of the new parliamentary term on October 27. He said the issues to be included in the questioning include plans to change or amend the school syllabus, administrative decisions and suspicious financial dealings at Kuwait University.

The issues also include the minister's statements on sex segregation at Kuwait University, the issue of university buildings and standards used in selecting cultural attaches at Kuwait missions abroad, Jeeran said. The lawmaker also criticized what he described as deterioration in the level of education in the country and the allegation that many students resort t cheating.

In another development, MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji yesterday called on Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh to intervene and stop the proposed sale of the International Fair Grounds by Kuwait Investment Co. (KIC) and Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), both state-owned firms.

Turaiji wondered how can the finance minister allow KIC chairman negotiate to sell the fair grounds at a time he is under probe for alleged misuse of public fund, adding that he should at least wait until the end of the probe. The lawmaker said that moves by the KIC chairman are very provocative and these will not be allowed to pass smoothly in the national assembly. He also urged the finance minister to safeguard public funds by exercising his constitutional powers. The finance minister is the head of KIA which owns KIC.

Turaiji said that it is not acceptable for KIA to continue to sell profit-making companies while the Audit Bureau is conducting a study on the issue and that the study is about to be completed and submitted to the national assembly. The lawmaker said that the public funds protection committee in the national assembly will hold a meeting soon to discuss the issue. He said that the meeting will invite the finance minister, directors of KIC and KIA and the Audit Bureau.

The meeting will study the issue of selling state-owned companies and the reason for rushing the sale while the Audit Bureau is studying the matter. Turaiji said he will send questions to the finance minister about the sale of profitable companies.

In the meantime, MP Ahmad Lari encouraged the government to sell its holdings to achieve the free market policy and reduce the administrative burdens. He said that the government should let the private sector run such facilities but insisted that any sale should be made at market prices.

By B Izzak