The government’s assurance is the latest in a series of statements affirming that the prime minister and ministers of interior, defense and public works are ready for the crucial debate. But the assurances appear to have failed to dispel a feeling among MPs and observers that today’s session could be still full of surprises, especially with regards to whether the debates will be behind closed doors or open, and whether the government would still seek a postponement until after the Gulf summit.
Opposition MPs however issued stern warnings to the government and its supporters in the Assembly if they decided to seek a secret debate. MP Musallam Al-Barrak said that all three members of the Popular Action Bloc and two of its supporters will sign on a motion for non-cooperation with the prime minister at the end of the grilling. MP Faisal Al-Mislem said if the government and its supporters succeed in forcing a secret debate of the premier’s grilling, "We will be able to convince 10 MPs to sign a motio
n for non-cooperation".
According to the constitution, MPs can file a no-confidence motion against ministers following their grillings, but they can only file a non-cooperation motion against the prime minister. Both motions must be signed by 10 MPs. Only elected MPs are allowed to vote on both motions, meaning that Cabinet ministers have no right to vote. A simple majority of elected MPs, 25 MPs in this case, are required to approve both motions.
If a no-confidence motion is approved against ministers, they will be automatically dismissed from office. While if the non-cooperation motion is passed against the prime minister, the issue will be referred to the Amir, who can either change the prime minister or dissolve the Assembly and call for fresh polls.
MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei said at a public rally that Kuwait is passing through a political bottleneck and Dec 8 is a very decisive date for the future of the country. Either Kuwait will succeed in passing through to a new era of transparency, accountability and application of the constitution, or the situation will deteriorate further, Tabtabaei said. The country is facing a political crisis, an administrative dilemma and corruption has spread to every corner, the lawmaker charged.
The grillings are scheduled to be debated in order of submission. It will start with the grilling of the prime minister, the minister of public works, interior minister and finally the minister of defense. Under the internal charter, each griller is given 90 minutes to explain his charges and the minister is given an equal duration to refute the accusations. Then the griller and the minister are given a further 15 minutes to respond to each another.
Then, three MPs supporting the grilling and three MPs opposing it will each be given 15 minutes to speak alternately. The grilling could end at this point or 10 MPs could file a no-confidence motion or a non-cooperation motion with the prime minister. Voting on such motions must take place after at least seven days.
Meanwhile, local bloggers yesterday published a copy of the cheque that was allegedly issued by the prime minister to a former MP and which was revealed last month by MP Mislem in the Assembly but this time with the name of the former lawmaker not blotted out. However, former MP Nasser Al-Duwailah, whose name was on the cheque, immediately denied that the money went into his account. He also demanded a debate with Mislem. The prime minister’s lawyer Emad Al-Saif meanwhile charged that the cheque was leaked
by Mislem and vowed stern legal actions against him in court.
