However, committee head Jawad Fairooz claimed the ministry said none of the government officials or its representatives would be attending since it didn’t see a need, even after confirming earlier that they would be present.
"We were surprised when in the last minute, the State Ministry for Shura and Parliament Affairs officials general-secretariat claimed that they were not convinced on the reason of the invitation to the meeting," he said.
"It seems the ministry has reservations against inviting any government representative to parliament committee meetings during the summer break.
"Based on their absence yesterday, parliament chairman Khalifa Al Dhahrani asked the legal adviser to offer his opinion on the issue.
"We find the ministry’s comment strange, since parliament is being sidelined and it is being suggested that its monitoring role on issues of public interest should stop during official breaks."
Mr Fairooz said the committee should have received a written response because it presented a written invitation for the meeting on September 5.
"What is the use of having committee meetings and how can it fully carry out its monitoring role in the absence of government representatives," he said. "Any delay until the second session will cause greater problems in the case of Tubli Bay and the establishment of cement factories that are not licensed by the municipal councils but are under construction."
