SUBSCRIPTION MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 RAJAB 10, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Pakistan Internet in Denmark Serena extends holds repeat ‘coma’ as takes winning streak to poll despite Iran election Eurovision reach Rome final killing13 looms27 crown40 18 Kharafi wins $930m Max 40º Min 24º High Tide in damages from Libya 07:44 & 19:10 Low Tide 00:40 & 13:37 40 PAGES NO: 15814Group 150 FILS wins arbitration decision through Arab League KUWAIT: M A Al Kharafi and Sons of Kuwait has won a final conspiracy theories arbitration decision worth 1.2 billion Libyan dinars ($930 million) against the Libyan government as a result of a breach of contract by the Libyan government. In 2006, M A The thin line Kharafi and Sons entered into contract with the Libyan gov- ernment to establish a seafront resort in Tripoli, which included a five-star hotel, hotel apartments and villas, and a shopping mall through a 90-year Build Operate Transfer (BOT) concession. Until 2010, the company, which By Badrya Darwish had spent large sums on feasibili- ty studies, design works and management contracts, had not formally received the land from the Libyan government. [email protected] The former Libyan regime then cancelled its contract with the Kharafi group. As a result the Kuwaiti firm decided to proceed hat do I benefit as a Kuwaiti from the directly to arbitration based on the government’s sudden savage harass- Arab League’s Joint Investment Protection Agreement to Wment and attack against expats in the claim for 90 years of lost revenue. The arbitration panel country? I have the right to know if it is in my awarded Kharafi Group 1.2 billion Libyan dinars (US$930 interest. Does that bring me more money? Does million) including interest as a final decision that cannot be it flourish the economy of the country by kicking contested. The award is the first of its kind in the Arab expats out? Does it solve the unemployment League under the Joint Investment Protection Agreement amongst us Kuwaitis? Definitely no. between Arab countries. — Mid-east.info Let’s face it: the kinds of jobs expats are doing are not our primary target. Why the crazy cam- paign which everybody has been noticing for ‘Hundreds’ four weeks now? It is done to legalize matters. There is difference between legalizing and tak- deported for ing care of the security in any country. All of a sudden the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour traffic offences and Ministry of Interior are at war. It seems they are everywhere and they chase expats. Daily the KUWAIT: Kuwait has deported hundreds of expats ministry is issuing the number of violators who for traffic offences in the past month, a report said have been deported. yesterday, drawing condemnation from a human What an accomplishment! You should be rights group. The Al-Anbaa newspaper cited a senior proud of yourselves, guys. It looks like people interior ministry official as saying that as many as who are sitting in the ministries do not own 1,258 foreigners have been deported for traffic viola- businesses themselves and they do not know tions since a crackdown began about a month ago. Foreign residents caught driving without a licence, what harm is done to the market by this sudden using their cars to carry paying passengers, jumping attack and chasing of expats, as if they are all a red light for a second time, or breaking the speed criminals. The funniest part is that they are limit by more than 40 km per hour, can be deported boasting about it by informing us daily on the without a court order. deportation numbers. But surprisingly, no com- The Kuwait Society for Human Rights called on pany or person was punished that brought these the government to halt the deportations describing souls into Kuwait, took a handsome amount for them as “oppressive”. “The oppressive measure himself and threw them to wander illegally in against expatriates... violates the basic principles of the country. Of course, they will not tell us about human rights,” it said. The group warned that the these people because they have wasta and are measure could tarnish the state’s image abroad at a influential. time when its human rights record is under scrutiny. Let’s talk about the ministry that calls for the Kuwait is home to 2.6 million expatriates who form deportation of “marginal labour”. If they under- 68 percent of the country’s 3.8 million population. stand the word correctly, this kind of labour is Kuwaiti nationals who commit similar offences have important for any country. If the country is emp- their vehicles seized and can be sent to court. tied of this labour, all of us will cry when unable Last month, Minister of Social Affairs and Labour to paint our house or fix something. If I need a Thekra Al-Rasheedi said the state plans to deport plumber, do I need to go and recruit a plumber around 100,000 expatriates every year for the next decade to reduce the number of foreigners living in on my sponsorship from a foreign country - be it the Gulf state by one million. She did not say what Bangladesh, India or Pakistan? If anyone needs measures she would adopt to carry out the plan. household matters to be fixed at home, we need Foreigners need to hold a university degree, earn KD labourers, the porters in the co-op, the airport. BARCELONA: Members of the Castellers “Vila de Gracia” form their famous human tower called “castell” in the Barcelona neighborhood of Gracia yesterday. A “castell” is a human tower traditionally built during festi- 400 a month and have lived in Kuwait for at least two Are they all marginal? Can the airport do without years to be eligible to apply for a driver’s licence, them? Can the co-op serve without the porters vals in many places in Catalonia. At these festivals, several “colles” or teams compete to build the most impressive towers they can. — AP under a decision issued nearly a decade ago. —AFP filling our bags and pulling our trolleys to our cars? Can schools be cleaned without all these PAGE PAGE janitors (commonly known as farash or farasha)? Tunisia Salafists Ticket for $590.5m Can hospitals survive without them? Can any office run without an office boy to make chai clash with police lottery sold in US (tea) and clean? Can any company run its busi- ness without security people? Can you explain what exactly is the marginal labour you target to kick out? Or maybe because you do not have businesses and you do not care. Syrian army, Hezb MPs warn govt on You just try to convince us that you are more loy- al to the country than us and that you are more oil appointments patriotic by kicking out marginal labour out of storm rebel town Kuwait. This would harm businesses. Can we do without taxi drivers? Or are these also marginal Israel threatens more strikes Popular Movement seeks members jobs? Are the drivers who drive the buses which By B Izzak Corp (KPC) Farouq Al-Zanki and appoint- 50 percent of expats rely for transportation, AMMAN: Lebanese Hezbollah militants planned for Geneva next month would end attacked a Syrian rebel-held town alongside fighting that is deepening the sectarian fault ed Nezar Al-Adasani in his place. A long- called marginal labours too? How about the driv- Syrian troops yesterday and Israel threatened lines between Sunnis against Shiites across the KUWAIT: A number of MPs yesterday serving oil executive, Adasani was a mem- ers who take our kids to school? Do we not need more attacks on Syria to rein the militia in, Middle East. warned the government against what ber of KPC’s board of directors and the them anymore? Can you call us, the people who highlighting the risks of a wider regional con- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu they called “rushed” appointments in the chairman of Kuwait Foreign Petroleum have businesses and discuss it with us, because flict if planned peace talks fail. Activists said it said his country was “preparing for every sce- oil sector after the government reshuffled Exploration Co, a subsidiary of KPC, before it has an impact on our operations. We are not was the fiercest fighting in Syria’s two year-old nario” in Syria and held out the prospect of leading posts in the vital sector amid a he was surprisingly appointed in the post. government employees. Our salaries are not civil war involving Hezbollah, a Shiite group more Israeli strikes inside Syria to stop bitter controversy over a $2.2 billion pay- The Cabinet also reduced the member- secured in the banks in the end of the month. It backed by Iran which they said appeared to be Hezbollah and other opponents of Israel get- ment to US’ Dow Chemical. The Cabinet at ship of KPC board of directors and is easy for you to sit and invent new rules with- helping President Bashar Al-Assad secure a ting advanced weapons. “We will act to ensure the weekend suspended leading officials appointed a number of new faces. vital corridor in case Syria fragments. Speaking the security interest of Israel’s citizens in the out properly studying their impact on the coun- at state-owned Petrochemicals Industries The appointments however were not from Qusair near the border with Lebanon’s future as well,” Netanyahu said. Israel has nei- Co, which signed the multibillion-dollar to the liking of a number of MPs.