KUWAIT CITY, Jan 30: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim has invited the MPs to the ordinary sessions slated for Tuesday and Wednesday. Items in the agenda of the sessions include the following:

■ Requests of the Public Prosecution to lift the parliamentary immunity of MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri for Case No. 1146/2021, as well as MPs Khalid Al-Otaibi and Thamer Al-Suwait for Case No. 631/2021;

■ Continuation of the response to the Amiri speech;

■ Program of the government for fiscals 2021/2022 to 2024/2025;

■ Second reading of the proposals to amend the Procedures Law and Penal Code No. 17/1960;

■ Amendment of Health Procedures Law No. 8/1969;

■ Amendment of Article Five of Housing Welfare Law No. 47/1993;

■ Amendment of Civil Service Law No. 15/1979;

■ Amendment of Law No. 21/1964 on boycotting Israel and the organizations affiliated to it;

■ Amendment of Law No. 98/2013 on the establishment of the National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs);

■ Amendment of Environment Protection Law No. 42/2014;

■ Five bills on the civil rights of Bedouns;

■ Reports of the Budgets and Final Accounts Committee on the final accounts of several public institutions for fiscals 2018/2019 and 2019 /2020;

■ Reports of the Foreign Affairs Committee on the military cooperation between Kuwait and Ukraine, as well as the marine navigation agreement between Kuwait and Morocco.

Meanwhile, the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee discussed Sunday the government’s proposal to develop North Kuwait, and that of some MPs to develop Failaka Island.

Committee Chairman MP Ahmed Al-Hamad affirmed that the government has responded to the queries of the panel and promised to present a video on the project next week. He said the committee formed a team whose members are from Kuwait Municipality, Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), and Public Authority for Partnership Projects (PAPP). He said the team will address conflicts in bills regarding the development of North Kuwait and Failaka Island, indicating the team will decide whether the Failaka Island development is covered by bills on the North Kuwait project or not. Minister of State for Municipality, Communications and Information Technology Affairs Rana Al-Fares attended the meeting; along with representatives of KIA, Kuwait Municipality and PAPP.

In addition, the Interior and Defense Affairs Committee on Sunday met senior officials at the Ministry of Interior. Committee Chairman MP Saadoun Hammad revealed that they discussed the 37-Article bill on the residency of foreigners submitted by the government. He confirmed that the committee and the ministry agreed on most articles, except Articles 13 and 17; disclosing the ministry requested for more time to study these articles thoroughly. He added Article 13 specifies the categories of foreigners eligible for maximum residency of 10 years such as investors who are covered by the decision of the Council of Ministers on specifying businesses and the amount of investment, those owning real estate properties in Kuwait, divorcees and widows married to Kuwaitis provided they have children, and those married to Kuwaiti women and their children.

According to the lawmaker, Article 17 states that the ministry shall specify the fees for the issuance and renewal of residency except the children of Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis provided they have a permit to live in Kuwait as per Article 10 of this bill, in addition to other categories which will be specified by the ministry. He added the committee will meet again next week to deliberate on the reply of the ministry and the proposal of the government to grant Kuwaiti nationality to female foreigners married to Kuwaitis, including divorcees and widows while specifying the period for obtaining citizenship.

Furthermore, MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri said the government is usually absent in sessions scheduled for discussing vital issues like the coronavirus regulations. He argued thousands of scientists from different parts of the world presented thousands of reports showing that the Covid-19 vaccine is harmful to one’s health. He pointed out that anyone can read these reports on the website, www.saveusnow.org.uk. He added many countries like Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Spain and Norway have lifted restrictions related to corona; but the Kuwaiti government keeps on forcing individuals to take the vaccine. He previously challenged the government acknowledge that it is responsible for the side effects of the vaccine, but the latter has yet to do so. He went on to say that forcing individuals to take the vaccine is a violation of Nuremberg Code, while the International Criminal Court will soon look into several lawsuits against political figures for taking decisions regarding Covid-19 and he hopes there will be no Kuwaitis among these personalities. He warned it is too dangerous if the government thinks more about the $600 million invested in Pfizer than the citizens’ safety. He added the government will be held responsible for any negative consequences both in Kuwait and globally.

Also, MP Osama Al-Shaheen expressed disappointment over the government’s absence in the session slated for Monday to discuss the Covid-19 regulations. He stressed the need to rectify such error by scheduling another session this week or allocating part of the upcoming ordinary session to discuss the issue. He submitted a proposal to exclude the Covid-19 vaccine from the conditions for recruitment, promotion, entry to public facilities and travel. He considers forcing individuals to get vaccinated a threat to personal and public freedoms. By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff