JAMADA ALTHANI 24, 1439 AH MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2018 Max 30º 32 Pages Min 18º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17478 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net 16 China parliament allows Xi to remain president indefinitely Leader’s political mantra to be inscribed in the constitution BEIJING: China’s Xi Jinping yesterday box, as delegates of the National secured a path to rule indefinitely as People’s Congress applauded after each parliament abolished presidential term vote on the constitutional amendment to Kuwait ‘agrees’ to limits, handing him almost total authority lift the two five-year term limit for the to pursue a vision of transforming the presidency. conditions to lift nation into an economic and military The first constitutional amendment in superpower. The move reverses the era 14 years had been expected to breeze of “collective” leadership and orderly through the legislature, which has never ban on Filipinos succession that was promoted by late rejected a Communist Party diktat in its paramount leader Deng Xiaoping to half-century of existence. “This is the By A Saleh ensure stability following the turbulent urgent wish of the common people,” Ju one-man rule of Communist China’s Xiuqin, a delegate from northeastern KUWAIT: Kuwait and the Philippines have made founder Mao Zedong. Heilongjiang province, told AFP, echoing progress in negotiations for a bilateral labor agree- The historic constitutional amend- party claims that lifting term limits had ment, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs ment cleared the rubberstamp parlia- the unanimous support of “the masses”. said in a statement yesterday, hoping that more ment with 2,958 in favor, two against, But the vote sparked some negative pragmatic measures could be included so that it three abstentions and one invalid vote, comments on Twitter-like Weibo, with could recommend its signing and the lifting of the despite an unusual bout of online criti- one user defying censors to write “we’re ban on the deployment of new workers. cism that censors have scrambled to over” while another said “we are back in According to the statement, Kuwaiti authorities BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping votes during the third plenary session of the have reportedly agreed to the conditions laid down extinguish. Xi stood up first at the the Qing Dynasty”, referring to China’s by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte shortly first session of the 13th National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People imposing Great Hall of the People in last imperial era. after he declared a ban on the deployment of new yesterday. — AFP Beijing to cast his paper ballot in a red Continued on Page 11 workers to Kuwait. The negotiating panel led by Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Ambassador Renato Villa were able to secure region, the last rebel bastion on the capital’s Kuwait’s commitment that would guarantee Filipino Regime bombs doorstep. domestic workers a minimum monthly salary of KD In three weeks of fighting, it has overrun more 120; rest hours of at least eight hours per day; pos- than half the area and split the remainder into session of their passports and mobile phones; and splintered Ghouta three pockets, isolating the urban hub of Douma limiting their work to only one household. from the rest of the enclave. Yesterday, govern- “Our negotiations with Kuwait have so far been as bodies pile up ment troops battered the edges of each pocket going well but we need to put in place more practi- with air raids, barrel bombs, and rockets, said the cal measures that would ensure the safety and wel- HAMMURIYEH, Syria: New air strikes and Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human fare of our [compatriots] working there,” Philippine barrel bombs pounded Syria’s Eastern Ghouta Rights. After fighting all morning, they captured Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S Cayetano yesterday as government forces pressed a three- the town of Medeira, which lies at the heart of said. Cayetano also commended officials from the the three zones, Observatory head Rami Abdel Philippine Embassy in Kuwait and the Department week advance that splintered the rebel enclave and trapped dozens under collapsed buildings. Rahman said. State news agency SANA had of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for convincing KAFR BATNA, Syria: Smoke billows following Syrian government reported troops were focusing on the town in their Kuwaiti counterparts to Duterte’s conditions. Defying global calls for a ceasefire, Syria’s gov- bombardment on this rebel-controlled town in the besieged Eastern Continued on Page 11 ernment has pursued a ferocious Russian-backed order to cut rebel access routes in Ghouta. Ghouta region yesterday. — AFP air campaign and ground offensive to capture the Continued on Page 11 2 Established 1961 Local Monday, March 12, 2018 Amir, Crown Prince meet senior state officials Amir congratulates Kuwaiti diplomat’s spouse on accolade KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with His Highness the Crown His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with National Assembly Speaker Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. — KUNA Marzouq Al-Ghanem. KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- yesterday Turkey’s Ambassador to the State of Kuwait Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at Seif Palace yes- Aisha Hilal. Meanwhile, His Highness the Amir congrat- terday His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf ulated yesterday the wife of Kuwait’s ambassador to Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. His Highness also the United States after she was honored by the UN- received National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al- affiliated Women’s International League for Peace and Ghanem, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Freedom (WILPF). Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, as well as First In a letter he sent to Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Al-Sabah’s better half, His Highness the Amir applauded Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. her for being the recipient of WILPF’s “Peace Women Meanwhile, His Highness the Crown Prince received Award”, in recognition of her decade’s worth of contri- Ghanem, His Highness the PM Sheikh Jaber Al- butions towards humanitarian causes. His Highness the Mubarak, Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad, Deputy Crown Prince and His Highness the Prime Minister also Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al- sent similar messages to the Kuwaiti activist. Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Deputy Prime Minister In other news, His Highness the Amir is set to and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al- patronize and attend the honoring ceremony of out- Sabah. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister standing graduates of colleges and institutes of the of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh and Minister Public Authority for Applied Education and Training of State for National Assembly Affairs Adel Al-Kharafi (PAAET) for the academic year 2016/2017. The event His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with His Highness the Prime Minister were also among those to have met His Highness the takes place at 10:30 am today at PAAET’s new building Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Crown Prince. Separately, Ghanem received in his office in Shuwaikh. — KUNA His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- meets with First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Sabah meets with Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Adel National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem meets with Turkey’s Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Al-Kharafi. Ambassador to Kuwait Aisha Hilal. European Affairs Waleed Al-Khbaizi point- Kuwaiti FM ed out that bilateral ties have been on a Defense Minister perpetual progress over the years. He spoke of high-profile visits officials from cables Russian both nations have exchanged, in addition receives to political discussions on the level of deputy foreign ministers, with the next counterpart round of talks due shortly. Earlier yester- ambassadors day, the Kuwaiti envoy and Russia’s on anniversary ambassador to Kuwait Alexey Solomatin KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and exchanged well wishes in an amiable Minister of Defense Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al- encounter to celebrate more than five Ahmad Al-Sabah received at Seif Palace yester- KUWAIT: Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime decades of diplomatic ties. day the UAE’s ambassador to Kuwait Rahma Al- Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Zaabi. The envoy handed over to Sheikh Nasser Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah FM meets GCC’s Zayani an official invitation from Crown Prince of Abu and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey In other news, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Dhabi, and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Lavrov exchanged cables of congratulations received in his office Gulf Cooperation UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed on the 55th anniversary of establishing Council (GCC) Secretary General Al-Nahyan to visit the UAE. Sheikh Nasser diplomatic ties on March 11, 1963. Both top Abdullatif Al-Zayani. The meeting was thanked Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al- diplomats stressed the importance of boost- attended by Deputy Foreign Minister for his generous invitation which he accepted, Ahmad Al-Sabah meets with UAE’s ambassador to Kuwait Rahma Al-Zaabi. — KUNA ing and enhancing bilateral ties, to better Khaled Al-Jarallah; Assistant Foreign Defense’s Directorate of Moral Guidance and serve the interests of both nations, as well as Minister for Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled’s Public Relations said in a press statement.