Kuwait Times

Published Date: December 30, 2007
By A Saleh, Staff writer

KUWAIT: Officials disclosed that the situation would be a lot clearer during this week over the issue of the grilling of the Minister of Education and Higher Education Nouriya Al-Sabeeh. They said that, as the Cabinet was still divided over whether to accept the minister's readiness to face the grilling or not, the Constitutional Movement was seeking alternate ways to meet with her in an attempt to discuss the grilling issues and ask her why she did not work on the crucial initiatives of reforming and upgr
ading the educational process.

Meanwhile, members of the Independent Islamic Bloc announced that they had obtained verbal promises from some MPs to sign the no-confidence motion. They said 16 MPs have agreed to second the motion which requires only 10 MPs to submit it. Separately, a source from the original Islamic bloc, disclosed there would not be any meetings before the grilling because it was very difficult to take a unified stance over the issue. They however said that they preferred to leave the issue to individual MPs to take the
ir own decisions.

Officials from the Popular Movement meanwhile declared their support for the grilling motion all the way to the no-confidence motion. MP Jaber Al-Muhailbi however wondered about the futility of the harsh attacks leveled by some deputies over the grilling of Minister Nouriya Al-Sabeeh, especially since the ultimate goal of the grilling should be in the best interests of the public and national unity.

MP Saad Al-Shurae meanwhile asked the National Assembly to reject the postponement of the grilling of the minister in case the government approached them to do so. He stood his ground saying that the minister should either resign or be sacked if she dared request for a postponement.