KUWAIT CITY, June 10: The Human Rights Committee has finished gathering proposals pertaining to the establishment of an independent human rights authority, said MP Adel Al-Damkhi on Sunday.
Al-Damkhi, who is head of the parliament’s Human Rights Committee, said the panel met with representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor as well as civil societies and it is expected that a final draft bill will be formed within two weeks.

Al-Damkhi added that the committee has requested to meet representatives from the US Congress and request visitation rights for Kuwait Guantanamo prisoners Fawzi Al-Odah and Fayiz Al-Kandari.

Meanwhile, the Legal and Legislative Committee has finalized a draft bill to transform the Fatwa and Legislation Department into an independent authority. Moreover, head of the committee MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei disclosed that two proposals pertaining to the social and civil rights of stateless residents were approved.

Al-Tabtabaei added the committee will also look into proposals to amend the Assembly’s internal charter on Tuesday as well as bill on the formation of political parties. Next Monday, the legal committee will discuss the establishment of an independent authority for forensics and criminal evidence as well as amendments to the Court of Ministers Law to allow the appeal of the court rulings.

Al-Tabtabaei added the committee has unanimously rejected a public prosecution request to lift the immunity of MP Faisal Al-Mislem.

Meanwhile, liberal MP Nabil Al-Fadhl denied media reports alleging a financial transfer ordered by the ex-prime minister’s diwan went to an Arab singer named Talal Salama. He said the alleged documents by an electronic media site on foreign ministry’s financial transfers were “leaked by the parliament’s foreign transfers committee in attempt to deceive the Kuwaiti people and are damaging Kuwait’s reputation”. The media reports alleged that Talal Salama is the singer when in fact the Talal Salama in question is a Lebanese citizen, he added.

Al-Fadhl noted that the majority MPs are violating Article 54 of the Assembly’s internal charter pertaining to the secrecy of parliament committee meetings. He said he forwarded a letter to Parliament Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun in that regard which was ignored.

Furthermore, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported that a foreign ministry official denied media reports that some of the ministry’s financial transfers went to Arab singers and designers of females’ garments.  The source added that “the ministry will inform chairman of the foreign transfers committee about documents that prove that these claims are absolutely groundless”. He expressed the foreign ministry’s regret that media were reporting inaccurately and in a way “gravely harming the State of Kuwait and its credibility and undermining its foreign relations.”

In a related development, MP Abdulhamid Dashti revealed on Sunday a letter forwarded by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mohammed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the Assembly in which he complained of the constant accusations directed at members of the ruling family by majority lawmakers.

During the May 10th parliament session, opposition MP Musallam Al-Barrak had accused ruling family personalities of supporting controversial MP Mohammed Al-Juwaihel, including Sheikh Abdullah Al-Sabah’s wife Sheikha Awatif Al-Sabah.

Sheikh Abdullah Al-Sabah said that it was surprising that Parliament Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun did not immediately put a stop to the completely false accusations, especially against Sheikha Awatif, as “such talk suggests that (the ruling family) has erred against Kuwait and the Kuwaiti people, which is not true.”
MP Dashti said that the letter was listed on the Assembly’s agenda but was not read in the Assembly or referred to the complaints committee.

Similarly, Al-Fadhl and liberal MP Ali Al-Rashid condemned Islamist MP Mohammed Hayef for not standing in respect for Kuwait’s national anthem during an event. “Who is not loyal to this country and holds its nationality is the real danger to our national security and must give up the citizenship and go to the state he is loyal to,” stated Al-Rashid.

On another note, the Popular Action Bloc (PAB) submitted 12 proposals on Sunday including a suggestion to establish a Social Welfare Fund within the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.