KUWAIT, 13 July 2006 — “A special National Assembly session will be held next Monday to discuss the draft laws for redrawing electoral constituencies, dropping interest on retirees’ loans and voting using the civil ID’,” said the re-elected National Assembly Speaker Jasem Al-Khorafi yesterday.
The first sitting of the 11th legislative term arrived at a consensus on a parliamentary request to discuss the three topics.As predicted, the National Assembly re-elected Khorafi in a secret voting, where he got 36 votes, while his rival Ahmad Al-Saadoun got 28 votes, out of the total number of 65 (50 MPs and 15 Cabinet members) with one MP abstaining from voting.
Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah extended a hand to the assembly, saying in the inaugural session that the Cabinet “stresses its sincere wish to cooperate positively.”
“We should realize that we will not achieve anything if cooperation between the legislative and executive authorities did not rise up to the responsibility,” he said.
He also called for “new tools and practical means ... to avoid crises” between the two authorities.
Taking his place back at the podium, the speaker expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Parliament and the government for the trust they had bestowed upon him.Moreover, Khorafi said that competing for the position of speaker was “a competition for Kuwait.”
