Kuwait News

by movetopi Sat Jul 12, 2008 2:39 am

MP wants to know if Kuwait, Iraq are holding talks on issue of loans

KUWAIT CITY : MP Musallam Al-Barrak has submitted a query asking Deputy
Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem
Al-Sabah to clarify whether Kuwait and Iraq are holding negotiations to
discuss the proposal of waiving off loans payable by Iraq to Kuwait and
other border issues, reports Al-Jarida daily. Citing a report published
on Tuesday in Alam Al-Sabah newspaper, in which Iraqi Deputy Foreign
Minister Labeed Abawi reportedly said Iraqis are holding talks with
Kuwait to fix a date to discuss the loans issue, the lawmaker asked the
Deputy Premier if the news was correct and “if yes, furnish details of
the negotiations taking place and the agenda of both parties.”
Meanwhile, MP Dr Daifallah Bu Ramya has threatened to drag HH the Prime
Minister to the parliament and subject him to rigorous grilling if the
government unilaterally cancels the Iraqi loans without proper
consultation with the relevant parliamentary committee, reported Alam
Al-Youm, recently.

Regarding the announcement by the UAE to cancel about $7 billion debts owed to it
by the Iraqi government, Dr Ramya said “the scenario is different in
that the UAE did not experience the bitter experience Kuwait went
through in 1990.”
‘Its regrettable and shameful for our government
to look into our face and introduce such a suggestion while it failed
to drop loans against its own citizens,” he added.
MP Mohammed Hayef
Al-Mutairi has asked the Interior Ministry to immediately implement
court rulings imposed on some high-ranking Ministry officials, reports
Alam Al-Yawm.
Warning any delay in the implementation of the
verdicts will taint the Ministry’s image, Al-Mutairi said the Ministry
will be held liable for ‘protecting’ the officials and failure to
implement the law.

Some lawmakers have conceived of a new Islamic Bloc which will be formed at
the beginning of next parliamentary term, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.
MP Dr Mohammed Al-Kanderi made this revelation to journalists on Tuesday.
He said that several lawmakers have agreed to the formation of the new
bloc, but the need to harmonize varying ideologies, basic principles
and objectives delayed the inauguration that would have been done
during the last parliamentary term.
He added that they were trying
to be sure that every member was carried along. He stressed that
various names like Islamic Bloc or Reformation and Development are
still being considered for adoption. “This bloc will have a large
following, especially from the Salafists and Independent Islamist,” he
added.

MP Mohammed Hayef asked the Minister of Communication Sheikh Sabah
Al-Khali to clarify the proposal which seek to empower employees of the
ministry to reprimand service providers in the communication sector,
reports Al-Rai daily.
Furthermore the Minister should provide the
criteria, basis and conditions for granting these powers, in addition
to names and qualifications of those mandated to exercise these powers.

Turning his attention to licensed satellite channels, MP Hayef
asked the minister to disclose those involved in running these
satellite channels, especially the board of directors and their
residencies.
“We want to know why some of these satellite remains
off air long after receiving their licenses and if it’s possible to
withdraw the licenses should they remain shut,” he added.