By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Ten lawmakers yesterday filed a no-confidence motion against Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah following a grilling in which he denied allegations of squandering public funds and failing to perform his duties. National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem said he received the no-confidence motion signed by the MPs and that voting on the motion will take place on Feb 16.

At the start of the debate, the government stressed that the grilling violates the constitution because it does not talk about specific issues but rather common subjects, but still the minister accepted to face the grilling. MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri, who filed the grilling, insisted that the grilling is in line with the constitution and charged that the ministry of foreign affairs has committed the largest number of violations among ministries. He claimed millions of dinars have been squandered by the ministry and Kuwaiti missions abroad.

Muwaizri also claimed that the ministry has ignored requests by the Audit Bureau and failed to provide it with documents related to expenses by some embassies, thus preventing the bureau from inspecting those expenditures. The lawmaker said a senior official at the ministry signed a $10 million contract with a private company although he is not authorized to sign such contracts, adding that several embassies have squandered millions of dollars.

Muwaizri showed a video of a party held at a house rented by a Kuwaiti diplomat, which featured “immoral behavior”. He also claimed that some Kuwaiti embassies did not perform their duties in providing the required services to Kuwaiti citizens.

The minister however denied the allegations, saying that the lawmaker did not specify the acts of squandering of public funds, adding that if those allegations were true, the lawmaker should have reported the cases to the public prosecutor. He recalled the ministry’s role in repatriating some 12,000 Kuwaitis who were stranded abroad after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sheikh Ahmad also denied that the ministry has failed to protect Kuwait’s political and security interests abroad, adding that this duty is not under the foreign ministry only. Commenting on the minister’s reply, MP Muwaizri said the minister did not respond clearly to any of the accusations, adding that the issue of foreign transfers of public funds is still continuing and the ministry failed to deal with it.

To pass, the no-confidence motion needs the support of 24 MPs. Approving the motion will lead to dismissing the minister. But looking at the state of affairs of the opposition, it is unlikely to secure the support of the needed votes.