Kuwait Times
MP Abdulhameed Dashti
KUWAIT: National Assembly speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem said yesterday that a request by controversial MP Abdulhameed Dashti for sick leave is in line with the constitution. The announcement saves Dashti from a vote in the Assembly to strip him of his parliamentary membership for not attending five consecutive Assembly sessions without a valid reason.
But the speaker said that constitutional experts informed him that the request by Dashti, who has been outside the country for several months, is constitutional and attested by concerned authorities. Accordingly, Dashti will be considered as having sick leave as he claimed in the request and no action will be taken against him.
Dashti left Kuwait apparently to escape action by the public prosecution over lawsuits filed by the government and some Arab embassies for harshly criticizing Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The speaker said that Dashti’s sick leave is legal in accordance with article 24 of the internal charter and those who have a different opinion can submit amendments to the article. He said being speaker of the Assembly, he is obliged to apply the constitution as he was told by the constitutional experts about the issue.
Commenting on the announcement, Dashti lashed out at his opponents, accusing them of not paying any attention to respecting the law and human rights. Dashti is facing a large number of cases in connection to attacking Saudi Arabia and Bahrain which are being investigated by the public prosecution. The general attorney has already issued several arrest warrants against him and also ordered his detention for 10 days when he returns to the country.
In another development, Ghanem said that the delay of the debate of the government’s economic reform vision was made at the request of the government. He said the vision does not need the approval of the Assembly but it will require legislation which should be submitted for approval.
By B Izzak
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