The criticism came during the traditional debate over the Amiri address delivered by Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah during the inaugural session of the new Assembly which was elected in polls boycotted by the opposition.
Shiite MP Saleh Ashour expressed dismay that only one minister was present in the session, “which shows that the same attitude of the previous government has continued”. He said that the caretaker government had no right to award two mega projects – the Subbiya causeway worth KD 700 million and the Al-Zour power station for KD 600 million – adding that these projects must be stopped otherwise the government will face stern accountability.
“The government will commit a grave mistake if it thinks that the Assembly is in its pocket. The Assembly will give you enough time and if the government fails to perform, it will be held to account,” Ashour said.
MP Ahmad Al-Mulaifi also sent a stern warning to the government. “If you think that the battle has ended after the election on the basis of the amended electoral law and the presence of the Assembly, you are surely mistaken.
The battle has just started and we will have something to say to the prime minister,” Mulaifi, a former minister said. Mulaifi held local Al-Rai newspaper in his hand showing the impact of heavy rain over the past two days in several areas, adding the prime minister should fire the officials responsible for the floods.
Nabil Al-Fadl said ministers must perform well or they should go home. If they fail to do that, we will act and remove them, he said. MP Saadoun Hammad continued his attacks on Oil Minister Hani Hussein, saying he will grill the minister to force him to resign.
Hammad claimed that the minister illegally sanctioned a refinery deal with Vietnam and like the agreement with Dow Chemical, has accepted that Kuwait will pay a fine of $ 3.5 billion in case of nullifying the deal unilaterally. The lawmaker said that the government must form an investigation panel into the Vietnam deal and into a $ 800 million contract with Shell.
MP Ahmad Lari strongly lashed out at the government’s handling of the development plan, charging that the company that was contracted to supervise the plan went bankrupt about two months ago. He said that the consultant of the company is a pro-Israel figure.
Lari charged that the development plan was not made by the ministry of development but by highly influential people mainly to benefit from its projects.
MP Khaled Al-Shulaimi thanked HH the Amir for accepting to host a donors conference for the Syrian people in Kuwait at the end of next month. MP Khalil Al-Saleh said the composition of the Cabinet did not reflect the outcome of the election.
