Manama: A much anticipated standoff between the Kuwait Government and opposition lawmakers will take centre stage today with the prime minister's questioning in Parliament.
Opposition MPs from the Popular Action Bloc, the National Action Bloc and the Development and Reform Bloc have pushed for the questioning of Prime Minister Shaikh Nasser Mohammad Al Sabah to force him to resign following clashes between anti-riot police and lawmakers at a rally held on December 8 ostensibly to discuss possible amendments to the constitution.
The MPs accuse the prime minister of ordering the assault on lawmakers. The Kuwait Government has, however, said the action was in line with maintaining law and order and that people in the rally were violating rules and abusing the police.
Government confident
Mohammad Al Basairi, Communications and National Affairs Minister, yesterday confirmed that Shaikh Nasser was ready to be questioned.
"He will refute through indisputable arguments and evidence all that has been stated in the grilling request and will assert the government's confidence in the soundness and solidity of its stance," Kuwait News Agency quoted him as saying.
Al Basairi hoped that "the session will be calm and transparent and that it will be a historic development that reinforces the foundations of democratic practices".
Parliament Speaker Jassem Al Khorafi yesterday said that the government had informed him that it wanted a secret session to discuss the grilling request submitted by MPs Muslim Al Barrak, Jamaan Al Harbesh and Saleh Al Mulla.
"This is not the first grilling and it will not be the last. All I hope is that it is done in a positive way that allows us to discuss all our issues while keeping the stability of our country and protecting our society from any form of sedition or division," Al Khorafi said.
However, Al Barrak said that the government should allow a public quizzing of the prime minister.
Security personnel are not taking chances and have already formed a ring around the parliament building.
