Opening the new national assembly term, the Amir criticized the opposition for holding demonstrations and rallies rather than expressing their views in the national assembly, and for making unsubstantiated accusations of bribery, corruption and treason against others.
Sheikh Sabah called on all to closely follow the "dangerous events taking place around us" a clear reference to the Arab Spring revolutions, warning that Kuwait was not too far from the impacts and consequences of those events. But as the Amir left the National Assembly building, about 19 opposition lawmakers walked out of the chamber and boycotted elections to the Assembly panels as a sign of non-cooperation with the government and for allowing MPs suspected of accepting bribes to contest and vote in the elections.
As a result, all the 10 panels, which in previous terms witnessed stiff competition, were elected by consensus without any contest. Most of the panels were taken by pro-government MPs with the exception of some posts taken by members of the liberal National Action Bloc, who did not leave.
But the session was disrupted several times and witnessed the exchange of strong insults between MPs, especially when MP Adel Al-Saraawi demanded that MPs who are under investigation by the public prosecution should not contest the elections for any panel, adding he was ready to announce the names of those MPs.
MPs Askar Al-Enezi, Khaled Al-Adwah and Saadoun Hamamd vehemently protested, with Enezi in particular using insults and Hammad threatening physical action.
Tension even moved to outside the Assembly chamber with several opposition MPs criticizing the inclusion of MPs under investigation in the various panels.
Spokesman of the Reform and Development Bloc MP Faisal Al-Mislem told reporters that all opposition MPs will hold a meeting today to discuss available options for action against the government.
Al-Mislem said that the election of the Assembly panels was illegal and the committees’ decisions will also be illegal. He stressed that the only solution for the current impasse is to issue two decrees to dissolve the Assembly and to dismiss the government.
MP Mohammad Hayef stressed that electing MPs suspected of receiving bribes in the Assembly panels will invalidate their decisions and shake their credibility.
After electing the panels, speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi adjourned the Assembly until Nov 15 at the proposal of MP Adwah after the Assembly was due to hold its next session on Nov 1.
The National Action Bloc meanwhile said in a statement that they plan to discuss with other members of the opposition a plan calling to form an investigation committee into the behaviour of the Central Bank with regards to the alleged corruption scandal.
During the session, a large number of Kuwaiti teachers came to press MPs to vote in favour of a law raising their salary, but the government asked for a two-week delay which infuriated opposition MPs and the teachers themselves. Khorafi ordered the guards to expel the teachers and declared that they will not be allowed to attend the next session.
During the opening speech, Sheikh Sabah called on MPs and the government to end disputes and urged for coordination to boost the living conditions of the people and combat corruption. The Amir regretted that tribal and sectarian affiliations were being used to serve personal interests at the expense of basic national interests.
He also expressed dismay at the dramatic deterioration of the "political rhetoric", bids to smear some citizens’ reputation, sensational language promoted by some of the media and p
ress and expressed concern at the welfare of the youth, "who must not be neglected to become prey to devious trends".
The Amir criticized "some of the strange practices and phenomena that have targeted our society recently and have crossed all limits, undermining national principles, adding that hateful tribal, sectarian and factional orientations guided political movements, exploiting these affiliations as a bridge to attain trivial accomplishments at the expense of the homeland and the citizens".
"Such trends of fanaticism have spread to the sports, educational and social institutions, feeding the minds of the youth with such destructive concepts," the Amir said.
I am in deep pain … at the continuous political crises between the Assembly and the government, as if they were arch foes, and not brothers and two arms for a single body," said the Amir, adding that he was saddened by serious accusations of bribery, corruption and treason being made without proof.
He criticized recent calls to hold demonstrations and gatherings with the aim of inciting the people, and the tendency for destruction rather than building.
The Amir underlined the need for ending disputes, gearing up efforts for national ventures, construction of the infrastructure, upgrading utilities, namely health, educational and housing services, facing corruption, enacting legislation and taking practical steps to boost investments.
He called on the country’s decision makers to monitor external events which warrant national unity. "We declare with determination, yes for responsible supervision, objective and serious accountability, as stipulated by the constitution, the laws and the national interests," he said.
