Kuwait Times

Published Date: May 19, 2009

KUWAIT: Newly elected MP, former minister Dr. Masouma Al-Mubarak, has announced that she will be running for the Deputy Speaker's position in parliament, inspired by the rate of change that the results of the elections have shown.
Al-Mubarak said that a message had been conveyed by the election of female candidates for the first time to join their male counterparts in parliament. This message states that these women must repay the trust bestowed on them and work with their male peers in the National Assembly for the welfare of the country, avoiding the disputes and tension which damaged the previous parliament.

She talked about a three-pronged strategy encouraging cooperation between the government and parliament which would be regulated through the use of a five-point plan and a clear government work plan, in addition to the need for the government to present program budgets. Asked whether she would accept a position as a Minister, she said firmly that her place now is in the parliament, especially after the great results she achieved in the election.

In a radio interview following her election win, Dr. Mubarak described the results as a "great and "joyous" success, saying that they had reinforced Kuwaiti people's belief in democracy and hope for democracy and positive relations between the cabinet and parliament which would help with the development process. She said that this success would be reflected in further success, and had already led to a new direction for voters.

Dr. Al-Mubarak expressed her gratitude at the election results, taking the opportunity to thank all those who voted for her, and the Kuwaiti people in general. She acknowledged the responsibilities ahead of her, promising to work hard to meet them in order to live up to the trust placed in her.

On the sweeping changes in voting patterns shown in the election, the new MP said that this 30 percent swing away from the previous status quo demonstrated the people's will to send Kuwaiti women to parliament and to play an active role in the political process. She described the change as having a positive impact on the rate of work achieved by parliament, which she said must help to maintain the development process which the country is still going through.

Dr. Al-Mubarak believes that the new four female MP's will play a more major role in supporting women's issues in the parliament, which she said will be stronger than ever before. She stated that as part of these changes some regulations need to be amended to ensure that women have full rights.
Dr. Al-Mubarak said that Kuwaiti voters trusted those they elected, especially the women, to achieve success and keep their campaign promises. "They put their trust in women by sending them to parliament and seeking for them to cooperate fully with their male counterparts in working for the welfare of Kuwait," she stressed.

The new MP also urged the next cabinet to cooperate fully with the new parliament in order to achieve the full potential of the development process.
Asked if there were any positions or committees in parliament that she planned to seek election to or join, Dr. Al-Mubarak said that she would be running for the Deputy Speaker's position.

She went on to talk about the procedures that should be followed in the development process, which she said are already covered by the country's legislation. She insisted that the cabinet should provide a five-point strategic plan that would facilitate the work of both the parliament and the cabinet.

Dr. Al-Mubarak said that this strategy should contain a commitment from the cabinet and MPs to abide by the plan, in addition to holding the ministers accountable for the projects that they are assigned. All such measures would be beneficial for the public good, she said, but the cabinet should also present a clear work plan that will be followed and reviewed periodically. On the subject of the budget presented by the cabinet, she said that it should be a budget of programs. Following all these steps shou
ld help maintain the relationship between the parliament and the cabinet, she asserted.

The issue of grilling, Dr. Al-Mubarak said that although questioning cabinet members is a legal right, it needs to be used positively and to be of real benefit, especially given the number of problems over the issue in the two last parliaments. A mechanism for questioning should be established and abided by, and the content of the questions should be studied thoroughly, as it would determine whether the questioning should be direct or indirect., she proposed.
Dr. Al-Mubarak finished hear talk by asserting the importance of cooperation between the MP's, and seeking the public good.