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SUBSCRIPTION THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014 RAJAB 2, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net MPs Adasani, Kandari Max 38º Min 24º and Quwaiaan resign High Tide 01:40 & 12:37 Low Tide Hashem too mulls quitting after PM grilling scrapped 07:14 & 20:01 40 PAGES NO: 16152 150 FILS KUWAIT: In a dramatic and rare move, MPs Abdulkarim conspiracy theories Al-Kandari, Riyadh Al-Adasani and Hussein Quwaiaan yesterday announced they were quitting their parlia- mentary seats in protest at the National Assembly’s rejection of their grilling against the prime minister. Please do! During yesterday’s session, Kandari said he has decided to resign from the Assembly in order to safeguard the constitution and to protest against the “unconstitution- al” action of rejecting a grilling against the prime minis- ter. Adasani made a similar announcement and both By Badrya Darwish immediately left the chamber. Later, Quwaiaan announced on his Twitter account that he has decided to resign too in protest against “breaching the constitu- tion”. The surprising move came one day after the Assembly comfortably approved a government request [email protected] to reject a grilling against Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, which was demanded by the three resigning MPs. he circus season started yesterday in Kuwait Speaker Marzouk Al-Ghanem told the lawmakers under the Abdullah Salem dome where the that he will deal with the resignations in accordance Tperformance was held. It was an intriguing with the internal charter of the Assembly. According to performance by our players - the honorable gentle- the law, MPs must submit their resignations in writing men of parliament. It was a bit like sitting in a the- officially to the speaker of the Assembly. After that, the atre. We have some of the most talented actors and Assembly must study the resignation within 10 days actresses in this country. They should be competing and take a decision. If the seats fall vacant, by-elections for the Oscars. KUWAIT: MPs Riyadh Al-Adasani (left) Abdulkarim Al-Kandari (right) and to fill the seats must be held within two months. What is this nonsense? For how long are we Hussein Quwaiaan (second right) are seen at the National Assembly yester- A fourth lawmaker, Safa Al-Hashem, said later in the going to tolerate being underestimated by the par- day. The three opposition lawmakers resigned to protest the parliament’s day that she was considering to quit her Assembly seat liamentarians? They really take us for a ride. They decision to deny their request to question the prime minister. (Inset) MP Safa but vowed to take a final decision after consulting vot- think nations are idiots or fools. Fool me once, Al-Hashem, who is also considering quitting, checks her sunglasses during ers in her constituency. shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. the session. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat Continued on Page 9 But this is shame number 7 on us the nation to accept such a parliament. Why did we elect you? To see a play every session? We have enough TV chan- Subsidies draining state budget: Saleh nels - we do not need your drama. It was like a Turkish soap opera or a Bollywood blockbuster. KUWAIT: Energy subsidies are draining Policymakers have intensified calls for One actor is cursing the other, then the others Kuwait’s public budget, the finance min- economic reform, but any changes are jump in to mediate between them and then the New airport in Qatar ister said yesterday, as the government likely to face resistance from the elected result is that a few threaten to resign. Others are to carries out a spending review to help parliament and prove unpopular in a meet with their constituents to discuss whether they avoid a budget deficit as early as this country which provides a cradle-to-grave should resign. They also give a deadline for the res- receives first flights decade. Subsidies in the major oil pro- welfare system for its citizens. ignation. ducer are expected to cost KD 5.11 bil- Analysts say extensive social spending Please, honorable gentlemen, do resign all of you. lion ($18.2 billion) next fiscal year to cov- programmes are one of the reasons why There is no need for a deadline. We are sick of these er items like fuel and energy. Gulf Arab states such as Kuwait, which dramas. We need a serious parliament that solves Kuwait’s growth model has generated has no income tax, have been shielded our problems. Our problems, dear gentlemen, are large improvements in living standards from the kind of Arab Spring unrest seen too many, starting from the education system to and welfare, Finance Minister Anas Al- elsewhere in the region. Thanks to subsi- electricity and road construction, our deteriorating Saleh told a conference co-chaired by dies it costs as little as KD 5.2 ($18.40) to healthcare services and streets jammed with traffic. the International Monetary Fund. fill an 80-litre petrol tank. Electricity costs Just allocate one session, guys, and take a tour of “However this growth model has just 2 fils (less than 1 US cent) per kilo- Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, Salmiya and Hawally. See the involved many costs. The public sector watt hour, a fraction of what it costs to pavements and streets we have. I will not mention wage bill is currently very high as a per- produce. other areas. See the streets in Kuwait City that were centage of public spending, subsidiza- Results of the subsidies review are once the nation’s proud infrastructure. tion of basic goods is exhausting our expected this year. Newspapers have Tell me what projects you have decided for the state budget,” he said. reported that the government is consid- country in the last parliaments. Maybe I did not hear The IMF says Kuwait, one of the ering lifting subsidies for expatriates, about them. Any factories have been opened? Are world’s richest countries per capita, who make up two-thirds of the popula- there any factories or petrochemical plants that could have a budget deficit as early as tion. Saleh told reporters on Tuesday that opened recently that I do not know about? Did you 2017 if it keeps spending at the current nothing had been decided yet. He also fix the hospitals and Jaber Stadium? Or is it that all rate. Kuwait estimates this could happen told the conference that Gulf Arab coun- you have to do is grill? by around 2021. It has posted a budget tries need to reduce their reliance on oil Go and grill in your homes, parliament number 7. surplus for at least the past 15 years, for state revenues. DOHA: Passengers walk in a terminal upon their arrival at the new Hamad according to latest available data. Continued on Page 9 International Airport yesterday. — AFP Dubai jails DUBAI: A vast new airport in the Qatari committee, hailed the new complex as capital opened for business following “a source of pride and joy” for all years of delays Wednesday as the natu- Qataris. He said it can accommodate 30 US drummer ral-gas rich Gulf nation works to trans- million passengers annually for now, DUBAI: The drummer for German rock band Scorpions has form itself into a major aviation hub with plans for further expansion slated been in jail for almost a month after being arrested for and prepares to host one of sporting’s over the next several years. “It will deliv- “insulting” Islam and offensive behavior at Dubai’s interna- biggest events. A ceremonial Qatar er a memorable experience to all pas- tional airport, media reported yesterday. James Kottak, a Airways flight landed and was wel- sengers that will travel through its United States citizen, was detained on April 3 while in tran- comed by aviation’s traditional salute of gates, an experience that reflects sit to Bahrain, where he was to perform at the Formula One fire engines spraying water overhead to Qatar’s status and importance on the Grand Prix race, according to the reports. Kottak was on mark the official opening of Hamad world travel and tourism map,” he said. Tuesday sentenced to one month in jail by an Emirati court International Airport, which shares its Like the nearby United Arab and based on time served would soon be released. name with the Qatari emir who abdicat- Emirates, Qatar has invested heavily in According to Gulf News daily, ground staff at the airport ed in favor of his son last year. its aviation sector in recent years. It has testified that Kottak, who was drunk at the time, refused to It is part of a multibillion-dollar emerged as a major transit center for travel with a group of Pakistani and Afghani passengers. He building boom that is transforming the flights from around the world, compet- “started swearing”, criticizing “non-educated Muslims”, and skyline of the Qatari capital, Doha, as it ing at times uncomfortably with tradi- flashed his middle finger at Pakistani passengers, The prepares to host soccer’s World Cup in tional European and Asian hubs for National newspaper reported. The dailies said that Kottak 2022. Abdul Aziz Mohammad Al- lucrative long-haul travelers’ dollars. admitted he had been drinking alcohol but denied other Noaimi, who chairs the airport steering Continued on Page 9 charges. — AFP Wings for Life - World Run - (See Page 15) THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014 LOCAL Visa transfer deadline passes, no Jet Airways planes date for reopening recruitment ‘not checked’ Labor Day marked with ‘national holiday’ demands KUWAIT: The decision to cancel a deal to to go ahead with the deal.

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