KUWAIT CITY, July 11: Opposition veteran MP Ahmed Al-Saadoun forwarded the Foreign Minister, Dr Mohammed Al-Sabah, a number of questions on Monday requesting a clarification on recent news reports of Gulf initiatives in Yemen against the embattled country’s opposition forces. Al-Saadoun said that the media statements quoting Hassan Zaid, who is described as a Yemeni opposition leader, have said that negotiators with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have threatened the Yemeni opposition with a similar scenario of that in the Kingdom of Bahrain if the Gulf initiative is not accepted and signed.

The veteran MP did not name the sources of the media statements but added that, although he is confident of the inaccuracy of the statements, he would like a clarification from the foreign minister in that regard. Al-Saadoun requested an explanation to meaning of the ‘Bahrain scenario’, if the reports are true.
The GCC initiative earlier in April was refused by Yemeni opposition group as it does not include the immediate ouster and transfer of power from President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The GCC’s initiative also called for the formation of a national unity government to be chaired by the opposition.

On a similar note, MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei questioned the foreign minister on the reasons why the Cabinet has declared its recognition of the newly independent African state of South Sudan, while failing to recognize the Republic of Kosovo three years after its formation. He said that all Gulf States have already declared their recognition of the Kosovo as an independent country. The Islamist MP added that he has received information on entities that have paid for an immediate recognition of South Sudan in Kuwait so that their companies can participate in Kuwaiti investments.

Meanwhile, MP Masouma Al-Mubarak urged the Minister of Electricity and Water Salem Al-Uthayna, who was appointed as acting Information and Communications Minister by the Cabinet of Sunday, to quicken the privatization of Kuwait Airways Cooperation (KAC). She added that the mechanisms of the KAC privatization are now the responsibilities of Al-Uthayna, therefore he should save the airline’s deteriorating reputation.