KUWAIT CITY, July 4: The National Assembly Secretariat General issued a statement, denying the allegation posted on some Twitter accounts about the cancellation of the sessions slated for July 11-13, 2023. The Secretariat affirmed that the abovementioned sessions will push through. Meanwhile, MPs Muhammad Al-Regaib, Khalid Al-Tamar, Ahmed Lari, Jarrah Al-Fawzan and Fahd Al- Masoud have submitted a proposal to allocate two hours of the upcoming session for deliberations on the recent price hikes. MP Osama Al-Shaheen sent a letter to the Assembly on assigning the Foreign Affairs Committee to follow up the Kuwaiti- Iranian dispute over the Durra offshore oil field.

He voiced objection to the Iranian activities, stressing that Durra field is located in Kuwaiti territorial waters. He hailed the prompt response of the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Oil regarding the issue, adding that the people of Kuwait and the lawmakers are committed to protecting the sovereignty of the nation by monitoring the government’s steps in this regard. MPs Muhammad Hayef Al-Mutairi, Adel Al- Damkhi, Mubarak Al-Tasha and Hamad Al- Obaid submitted a bill about the punishment for those convicted of practicing black magic — 10 years imprisonment and KD 10,000 fine.

According to the bill, the death penalty will be imposed in case the magic leads to commiting crimes punishable by death. A total of 37 MPs have proposed allocating three hours of the session slated for July 11 to deliberate on the country’s official stand regarding the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran in Sweden. MP Majed Al-Mutairi submitted a bill on establishing Nawaf Al-Ahmad University for Applied Sciences. The bill states that the College of Basic Education at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) will be the headquarters of the university. MP Meteb Al-Ra’athan Al-Anzi criticized the decision of the Ministry of Higher Education to suspend the scholarship for Kuwaitis enrolled in medical courses in Egypt and Jordan.

He asserted the decision indicates contradictory positions; considering the Ministry of Health is hiring doctors and nurses from Egypt and Jordan and it sends patients for treatment there, while the Ministry of Higher Education does not accept Kuwaiti graduates from their universities. He called for providing slots for Kuwait students who want to pursue medical studies in Kuwait University. MPs Jenan Bu Shehri, Osama Al-Shaheen, Ahmed Lari, Mubarak Al-Tasha and Hamad Al-Elyan submitted a bill on granting civil rights to the children of Kuwaiti women married to foreigners.

These rights include permanent residency, renewal of civil identification cards every five years regardless of the validity of passports, salaries equal to their Kuwaiti counterparts if they are employed in the private sector, and priority in public sector recruitment next to the citizens. MP Abdullah Al-Mudhaf asked the government to present a program in line with the citizens’ demands with a timetable for achieving goals. He clarified that parliamentary cooperation with the government depends on the quality of the latter’s program. The lawmaker said the ministers must know that their performance will be used as basis for questioning them or not. He added the program of the government must include clear plans on addressing major issues like education, employment, health and housing. By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff