WARRING GHANEM, HASHEM SHAKE Hands and MAKE UP
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SUBSCRIPTION WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014 JAMADA ALAWWAL 4, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Zain finalizes Sahara chief Singapore Afridi powers $800 million ordered to topples Tokyo record run five-year remain as world’s chase in loan21 facility in25 custody costliest40 city Asia20 Cup Warring Ghanem, Hashem Max 26º Min 14º shake hands and make up High Tide 02:27 & 14:29 Low Tide Government to announce bedoon ‘roadmap’ soon 08:42 & 21:10 40 PAGES NO: 16095 150 FILS By B Izzak conspiracy theories KUWAIT: The National Assembly decided to delay a vote on lifting the immunity of speaker Marzouq Al- The pigeon era Ghanem in order to be interrogated in a lawsuit filed by MP Safa Al-Hashem after she said she will drop the case. The decision came following a debate during which Ghanem appealed to the Assembly to approve lifting his immunity so he could face charges in the court. But Hashem said she has decided to withdraw the case and Ghanem responded by announcing that he By Badrya Darwish will withdraw lawsuits against Hashem. The two warring lawmakers then shook hands. The Assembly also refused to lift the immunity of MP Abdulhameed Dashti to be interrogated in a case filed by former opposition MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei. [email protected] Meanwhile, the Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah yesterday said the government is preparing a roadmap and a new mechanism to resolve ur post office services are worth discussing the problem of tens of thousands of stateless people, again. Since the liberation, I can assure you known as bedoons, adding the new plan will be Othat postal services have been deteriorating. announced soon. The minister’s announcement came I thought that things will change as time goes by. during a heated debate in the National Assembly after But nobody is talking about it and nobody seems to MP Saleh Ashour protested strongly at the heavy-hand- be bothered. Don’t people send postcards and send ed measures taken by Kuwaiti police against bedoon letters anymore? protesters including the arrest of a 14-year-old boy. How many times did we talk about it and there The minister said that a few dozen bedoon, mostly was no reaction or any measures taken to improve teenagers, staged a violent protests during which they things? Actually, is there still a post office depart- damaged police stations and patrols and even wound- ment? Do people still get and send parcels and let- KUWAIT: Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem shakes hands with MP Safa Al-Hashem during a session at the ed a number of policemen. Sheikh Mohammad said the ters by snail mail? Of course I am joking. People National Assembly yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Continued on Page 13 around the world use postal services. I know that online services have taken the lion’s share of communication between people but there Egypt court bans Palestinian Hamas is no dispute that the post office cannot be replaced when it comes to parcels and signed documents. CAIRO: A Cairo court banned yesterday colluding in attacks on its territory in the Unfortunately, the people in Kuwait who are in the Palestinian Hamas movement from past few years, and aiding the Muslim charge of postal services are not aware of today’s operating in Egypt, tightening the noose Brotherhood movement of deposed Sisi gives new sign new means of communication. around the militant rulers of the blockad- Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. There have been many instances when I received ed Gaza Strip amid a crackdown on Egypt never recognized Hamas’s rule urgent invitations months after an event was held. Islamists. The emergency court’s decision in Gaza after it forcibly ousted the more of presidential run For instance, I receive many Eid Al-Fitr greetings to also seize Hamas’ assets, ahead of a moderate Fatah party of Palestinian pres- after Eid Al-Adha. Imagine then what happens to final ruling, was in response to a private ident Mahmoud Abbas from Gaza in CAIRO: Egypt’s military chief, Field my Eid Al-Adha greetings. I do not even check them citizen’s petition to designate it as a ter- 2007. Marshal Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, gave his out. rorist group. Egypt has accused Hamas of Continued on Page 13 strongest indication yet that he intends If the question was only about greetings, I would to enter presidential elections, saying not mind. Of course, many other people who live in in a speech yesterday that he “can’t Kuwait get their Christmas greetings on Easter or turn his back” if Egyptians want him to their New Year postcards arrive after a third of the run. Sisi is considered almost certain to year has already gone by. What is important is that win if he runs for president, riding on a in the end they receive their cards regardless of the wave of popular fervor since he ousted speed. Sometimes serious documents or letters sent the country’s first freely elected presi- and lost on the way mysteriously make it to our dent, Islamist Mohamed Morsi, who office after two or three months. had faced massive protests demanding In Kuwait Times, we used to publish letters show- his removal after a year in office. ing the date of sending and receipt. As if we live in Since the ouster last summer, a heat- the old times when people travelled on donkeys ed anti-Islamist and nationalist media and camels and letters were sent by pigeons. It campaign has fanned support for Sisi, looks like our post office in Kuwait seems to be touting him as the nation’s savior. For weeks, pro-military media have been impressed with the pigeon era communication sys- CAIRO: Marshal Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi saying the field marshal will announce tem from the past. Hey guys, the pigeon I am talk- addresses cadets at a military acad- his candidacy imminently. Last month, ing about is not a competing communication tool emy yesterday. — AP the top body of military generals, the like WhatsApp or BBM. It was seriously a letter tied Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, solve these problems alone, but only to the leg of a pigeon that then delivered it to its publicly gave its backing to a Sisi run. when Egyptians stand shoulder to recipient. Of course, in those days it took incredible Sisi’s comments yesterday in a shoulder.” training and taming. speech to military cadets stopped only If he becomes president, Sisi faces a Back to the present day. Would you trust to send a hair short of officially announcing he host of economic, security and social your passport or original documents by post like GAZA CITY: In this Aug 25, 2012 file photo, a Palestinian woman walks past a will run. He hinted he was waiting for woes that would pose real test to his you do in Canada or the UK for instance? A friend poster of Gaza’s Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya (left) and then Egyptian the issuing of a law governing the pres- popularity. Also, the generals’ backing was telling me that she went to Canada and they President Mohamed Morsi . — AP idential vote and setting a date for it. of his candidacy has staked the mili- asked her to send her passport by regular mail for The vote is to be held by the end of tary’s reputation on his presidency, the extension of her visa. They advised her that the April. When asked by the cadets about meaning the country’s most powerful cheapest and most reliable way to get her visa his possible candidacy, Sisi replied, “No institution could be tarnished by any renewed was to send her passport by regular post. Bahrain vows to one who loves his nation and loves political turmoil. Sisi was appointed Upon hearing this, my friend freaked out and Egyptians can ignore the desire of so defense minister and army chief by started asking about insurance coverage in case her many of them, or turn his back on their Morsi. Since Morsi’s ouster, the military- passport got lost. She could not sleep during the wipe out ‘terror’ will,” according to excerpts of the com- backed interim government has been three days until she received her passport back. All ments released on the Facebook page waging a fierce crackdown on his went well for her back then. I asked her if she was Amir sends condolences of the military spokesman. Muslim Brotherhood and other ready to do the same in Kuwait? Instead of an “The coming days will see the com- Islamists, while facing a growing insur- answer, she just gave me the look. DUBAI: Bahrain vowed yesterday to United Arab Emirates was among the pletion of the procedures that are offi- gency by Islamic militants in retaliation As they are going to privatize Kuwait Airways, eliminate “terrorism” and blacklisted dead. Clashes frequently erupt near cially necessary in this context,” he for Morsi’s removal. why don’t they do the same with the post office? three anti-government groups, a day the capital Manama between security added. “Don’t imagine that Egypt can Over the past weeks, the 59-year-old Who will really invest money in this organization after a bomb killed three policemen in forces and protesters from the coun- stand up unless we help each other US-trained army chief he has been a Shiite village in the deadliest attack try’s Shiite majority demanding the and put our hands together to solve increasingly acting in a presidential that has no sense of time? Or is it worth to invest in on security forces since they crushed ruling Sunni dynasty surrender its grip such a lost cause? the problems that piled up over more fashion, most notably a visit last month the 2011 uprising.