KUWAIT CITY, March 1: MPs Jenan Bu Shehri, Alyaa Al-Khalid, Saleh Ashour, Osama Al-Shaheen and Mubarak Al-Tasha have submitted a bill on granting more civil rights to the children of Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis. Bu Shehri cited reports of the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI), stating that a total of 17,716 Kuwaiti women are married to non-Kuwaitis and 90 percent of these women are married to other Arabs.
She pointed out that the number keeps on increasing, in addition to those married to Bedouns. The bill stipulates granting the following to the children of Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis:
■ Permanent residency that allows them to obtain civil identification cards renewable every five years regardless of the validity of their passports. The residency will be cancelled if the holder spends one year or more outside the country. The executive regulations of the law shall specify exemptions, such as education and overseas treatment.
■ Priority in public sector recruitment, after the citizens.
■ National labor subsidy for those working in the private sector.
■ Registration at the Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) according to the relevant regulations.
■ The Kuwaitization policy is not applicable to them.
■ They are not required to transfer residency whether they work in the public or private sector.
■ If they inherited a house from their mother upon her death, they can reside in the house throughout their lifetime; but they cannot bequeath the property to their heirs. (The existing law states that the house must be sold one year after the mother’s death).
■ They will enjoy the same educational and health benefits granted to citizens, including the right to pursue higher studies in public and private institutes and universities.
■ Right to establish their own companies or businesses without the need for a Kuwaiti partner.

The bill stipulates that the children of Kuwaiti women married to the nationals of other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will not be harmed once it is ratified, as they will continue to enjoy the privileges stated in other laws.

In a press statement, MP Faisal Al-Kandari called on the political leadership to quickly form the new government. He said the current situation negatively affected the interests of citizens, indicating such interests are supposed to be the top priority of the executive and legislative authorities. He appealed to His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to rectify the mistakes that harmed citizens in case he is tasked to form the new government again, citing as an example the erroneous appointment and reshuffling decisions.

He stressed the need for the premier to choose ministers with the capability to face grilling and discuss ideas, instead of dodging responsibilities. He also asked the next prime minister to consider the Amiri speech, which highlighted the need to ensure the prosperity of citizens in laying down the program of the new government. He then urged his colleagues to avoid disputes and adopt cooperation and compromise in the interest of citizens. He admitted that some lawmakers are part of the problem and urged them to be wise, emphasizing that the interest of citizens should not be a quid pro quo for anything

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff