Kuwaiti deputy PM to be 'grilled' over alleged irregularities

Two Kuwaiti Islamist members of Parliament have announced their intention to question the Deputy Premier and Minister of State for Cabinet and Parliament Affairs over the alleged illegal distribution of land and other unspecified administrative and financial irregularities.

MPs Ahmad Al Mulaifi and Ali Al Rashed announced to the local press that they will submit a 'grilling' request to the National Assembly during the next session which is due to open October 17.

They said that the intended questioning will include three major aspects associated with alleged corruption at Kuwait Municipality and the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources.

The MPs had in the last session submitted a number of questions to the Deputy PM concerning the distribution of agricultural plots and the legality of the distribution. They had also inquired on whether the Fatwa and Legislation department had approved the contract of sale. The next grilling will question the contracts of artificial palm trees that have been placed around the country.

The also accused him of violating the constitution and parliament's by laws and held him politically responsible for his failure to respond to many pertinent questions.

"Sharar is no longer fit for the coming stage…and if the government is serious about implementing reform then he should not stay…our grilling will force the government and the parliament to do their duty", the two MPs said.

They also called upon the Prime Minister Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad to urge Sharar to fix a date to answer all the questions.

Political analysts expect this grilling session to be bigger than the grilling of the Finance Minister Mahmud Al Nouri narrowly survived a no confidence vote in the last session, averting a political crisis.

Speaking on condition of anonymity one analyst said: "Mulaifi and Rashed are two very strongly outspoken MPs but they are going against an even stronger man who is backed by the tribes and has been very powerful for 10 years".

Sharar survived a vote of no confidence in March 2003 with fifteen MPS voting to oust him while 30 voted in his favour.