KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday elected its permanent committees for the new term and the outcome of the election clearly shows that pro-government MPs continue their control of key panels like the interior and defense, legal and legislative and the economic and financial affairs committees.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent cables of congratulations to members of parliament who won memberships of standing committees. He wished all of them success in the service of Kuwait. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also sent cables to committee members to congratulate them on their memberships. His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah also sent similar cables.

Committees' members

The assembly elected MPs Askar Al-Enezi, Sud Al-Shuwaier, Khaled Al-Oteibi, Nayef Al-Merdas and Nasser Al-Dossari to the interior and defense committee, with Enezi as the chairman and Merdas the secretary. The economic and financial affairs panel comprised MPs Khalaf Dumaitheer, Salah Khorsheed, Safa Al-Hashem, Faisal Al-Kundari, Farraj Al-Arbeed, Mubarak Al-Harees and Omar Al-TAbtabai as members.

MPs Mohammad Hayef, Adel Al-Damkhi Khalil Al-Saleh, Khaled Al-Shatti, Khalil Abul, Ahmad Al-Fadhl and Mohammad Al-Dallal were elected for the legal and legislative panel. Later Hayef said he will withdraw from the committee because he didn't like the composition. The assembly also elected MPs Osama Al-Shaheen, Awdah Al-Awdah, Mohammad Al-Huwailah, Yousef Al-Fadhalah and Khalil Abul to the educational committee.

MPs Abdulkarim Al-Kundari, Abdulwahab Al-Babtain, Abdullah Fahhad, Hamad Al-Harashani and Farraj Al-Arbeed were elected to the foreign relations committee, one of the few panels controlled by the opposition. MPs Mohammad Al-Hadiya, Saad Al-Khanfour, Talal Al-Jallal, Hamdan Al-Azemi, Rakan Al-NAsef, Nasser Al-Dossari and Majed Al-Mutairi were elected to the public utilities committee.

The budgets committee will comprise of MPs Adan Abdulsamad, Riyadh Al-Adasani, Abdullah Al-Roumi, Mohammad Al-Huwailah, Shuaib Al-Muwaizri and Adel Al-Damkhi. MPs Khaled Al-Oteibi, Saud Al-Shuwaier, Talal Al-Jallal, Ali Al-Deqbasi and Mubarak Al-Hajraf were elected to the Complaints committee. The assembly will hold its next meeting on November 13.

MPs' membership

Meanwhile, a Kuwaiti citizen living in the third constituency yesterday filed a complaint to the constitutional court contesting that article 16 of the national assembly internal charter violates the constitution and accordingly the assembly decision to keep the membership of opposition MPs Waleed Al-Tabtabai and Jamaan Al-Harbash is a breach of the constitution.

The assembly on Tuesday voted to maintain the two lawmakers' membership although there were sentenced to jail by the cassation court for entering the national assembly building. If the constitutional court accepts the complaint, the assembly move will be revoked.

By B Izzak