If he files the request, it will be the first grilling in the new National Assembly elected just two months ago following a major political controversy and a total boycott by the opposition over the amendment of the electoral law.
The Assembly’s financial and economic affairs committee last week approved a draft law stipulating that the government writes off all interest on loans taken between 2002 and 2008.
The draft law also proposes a grant of KD 1,000 for each Kuwaiti citizen who will not benefit from the debt relief.
The government has rejected the bill which has a massive support among MPs, estimated by some at over 40.
The government has the right to reject laws passed by the Assembly which can override the government’s rejection with a fresh twothirds vote.
Shamali has remained the main obstacle for passing any debt relief scheme, insisting any such scheme is harmful to local economy.
Instead, the government has set up what it calls the defaulters fund which offers help to Kuwaiti debtors facing difficulty in repayment. The Central Bank has said that the cost of the law will be around KD 1.7 billion.
The cost of the KD.1,000 grant has not been revealed. In a related issue, MP Safa Al-Hashem yesterday threatened to grill Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Thekra Al- Rasheedi and Health Minister Mohammad Al-Haifi for allegedly promoting their relatives illegally in their respective ministries.
Hashem claimed Rasheedi has provided her four brothers and sister favourable treatment in the ministry and proposed to promote her cousin to become an assistant undersecretary in violation of rules and regulations.
The lawmaker also claimed that the health minister has made similar measures for a number of his relatives and warned that if the reports were proved, she will file to grill them.
Meanwhile, MP Nasser Al-Marri announced yesterday the formation of a parliamentary bloc consisting of eight lawmakers which he said will work to ensure cooperation between the Assembly and the government.
The MPs who are members of the “Bloc of Independents” are Marri, Adel Al-Kharafi, Taher Al-Failakawi, Mishari Al-Husseini, Faisal Al-Kandari, Bader Al-Bathali, Hamad Al-Harshani and Saad Al-Bous.
