Plan to integrate rehabilitated prisoners into private labor market

KUWAIT: Rumors about an impending decision to dissolve the National Assembly and call for early elections are false, government sources said, adding that the spread of such inaccurate information has made some MPs declare their intentions to grill ministers with hopes of making some political gains ahead of the supposed elections.

His Highness the Amir has the sole authority to dissolve the assembly as long as there is a reason to warrant such as decision, or following a recommendation from the cabinet that details where it stands from the assembly. The cabinet has so far expressed willingness to cooperate with the assembly despite the grilling motions filed against His Highness the Prime Minister and other ministers, said the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the sources proclaimed that His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah is prepared to debate his grilling motion during the first session of the new term which starts in October, adding that the government believes the grilling addresses 'repeated issues' and offers nothing new. "The government regrets that the main aim behind the grilling seems to be putting the premier in a bad position in a bid to oust him, instead of seeking reform," the sources argued.

Ministers who could face grilling motions in the upcoming term include Commerce Minister Khaled Al-Roudhan, Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf, Social Affairs Minister Hind Al-Sabeeh, Housing Minister Jenan Bushehri, Information Minister Mohammad Al-Jabri, Oil Minister Bakheet Al-Rashidi, and State Minister for National Assembly Affairs Adel Al-Kharafi, according to the sources. While a cabinet reshuffle might eventually happen, the option of the cabinet's resignation is not on the table, they added.

Commenting on a draft law that was proposed to pardon and release lawmakers convicted in the National Assembly's storming case, the source said that the cabinet does not plan to approve such a proposal, believing that it is unconstitutional, noting at the same time that His Highness the Amir has a constitutional authority to release a special pardon in this case.

Prisoners' rehabilitation

Secretary General of the Manpower and Government Restructuring Program (MGRP) Fawzi Al-Majdali said there are plans to establish a training institute run by the government to rehabilitate prisoners in cooperation with Interior and Awqaf ministries and Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, in order to meet the needs of the market place in the private sector and provide it with Kuwait employees, Al-Jarida reported yesterday. This step comes within MGRP's efforts to rehabilitate prisoner citizens and integrate them in the marketplace once they graduate from the planned institution, Majdali explained.

About fake laborers, Majdali said that the Interior Ministry has been the most cooperative state department in this issue, praising their efforts in helping discover citizens who receive financial support illegally and protect public funds. The ministry gave MGRP access to the border outlets' system in order to follow the movement of citizens who are registered in the private sector, he explained. The ministry also helps discover cases such as registering the names of citizens in fake companies for the sole purpose of collecting the labor support allowance, he added.

By A Saleh and Agencies