Manama: Kuwait has paid rich tribute to its former parliament speaker Ahmad Zaid Al Sarhan who died on Saturday.
“Kuwait has lost one of its best men,” Mohammad Al Khorafi, the current speaker, said. “He has dedicated his life to serving Kuwait in the political, parliamentary and social areas and contributed immensely to the national movement and to the elevation of the nation’s status,” he said in remarks carried by Kuwait News Agency (Kuna).
Al Sarhan was a fine man with great and compassionate character, he said.
“He was a people’s man and was always keen on close contacts with his friends, colleagues and all the segments of the Kuwaiti society,” Al Khorafi said as he presented the parliament’s condolences to Al Sahran’s family.
Al Sarhan, 92, was elected MP in the nascent parliament in 1963 and again in 1967. He was deputy speaker in the 1963 term and chaired the legislative body between 1967 and 1970.
However, after he retired from parliamentary life, he opted not to be engaged in politics and did not make public statements or give interviews to the media, even though he co-lived with six rulers. He, however, offered his views whenever he was consulted by the crown prince on national issues.
Al Sahran, who also played football with a local team in the 1930s, was one of seven speakers of the Kuwaiti parliament. They are Abdul Aziz Al Saqr, Saud Abdul Razzaq, Ahmad Zaid Al Sarhan, Khalid Saleh Al Ghunaim, Mohammad Al Adsani, Ahmad Al Saadoon and Jassem Al Khorafi.
