KUWAIT: Four of the seven founding members of Al- Ummah Party yesterday issued a statement declaring willingly dissolving the party following accelerating disagreements amongst the founders. The statement signed by founding members Dr Awwad Al-Thefeiri, Dr Faisal Al-Hamad, Mohammed Al-Khenain and Mohammed Al-Matar stressed that since its foundation 10 years ago, party members had been going through hard times that made many of them quit, leaving only seven of the founding members, including in addition to the signees, Dr Hakem Al-Mutairi, Said Al-Hajri and Ayedh Al-Qahtani. The statement added that some of the founding members refused authorizing Mutairi to appoint members and called for respecting the party’s founding charter and elections. In addition, the statement justified its decision to dissolve the party by unaccepted decisions made and steps taken in the party’s name with regards to some foreign issues such as the Syrian revolution, the Iraqi revolution, connections with suspicious people and conferring with people with connections with the ‘US occupation’.
Opposition condemn Barrak ruling
Meanwhile, the ‘Majority Bloc’ yesterday issued a statement expressing solidarity with former MP Musallam Al-Barrak, after a ruling sentencing him to two years in prison was upheld by the court of cassation. The statement stressed that during his 17-year-long parliamentary career, Barrak had not violated public funds nor abused his authorities. It added that liberties have drastically deteriorated in Kuwait and that authorities were now targeting politicians, suppressing and silencing them. Considering itself the “true representatives” of the Kuwaiti people after the Feb 2, 2012 parliamentary elections, the bloc also promised to continue pursuing corruption and fighting public fund violations as well as what it described as ‘draining the state’ by some corrupt influential people. The statement urged all opposition members to unite and join efforts so that the ‘sacrifices’ made Barrak and his colleagues behind bars do not go in vain.
National carrier
Minister of Communications and Municipal Affairs Essa Al-Kandari announced that the government does not mind Kuwait Airways resuming to become Kuwait’s national carrier. Speaking after a parliamentary session, Kandari stressed that in response to an inquiry from the chairman of the parliamentary financial and economic committee about its attitude to KAC, the government expressed approval to reconsider KAC as the national airline. He added that 15 MPs have already made a proposal to amend the KAC law.
Bachelors’ residence
During a meeting at the Ahmadi governor’s office, the municipality team entrusted with evicting ‘bachelors’ residing in private residential areas stressed the need to take all needed measures to stop this phenomenon. The team was headed by assistant municipality director for urban planning and infrastructure Ahmed Al-Manfouhi. The meeting was also attended by MoI’s assistant undersecretary for public security Maj Gen Abdulfattah Al-Ali. The meeting discussed the measures so far taken against violating landlords who had not evicted bachelors. It recommended to stop issuing civil IDs for bachelors living in private residential areas to force them out.
Minister’s accounts
The Interior Ministry’s Relations and Security Information Department strongly denied that Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al- Sabah had any Twitter or Instagram accounts. The ministry is currently taking proper legal measures against any fake accounts allegedly attributed to the interior minister, the department added.
Malfunction
The electronic grading system at Kuwait University’s registration and acceptance deanship malfunctioned, giving all students ‘FA’ grades, well-informed sources said. The problem is being resolved.
By Meshaal Al-Enezi
