Kuwait’s Minister of Public Work and Minister of State for Housing Jenan Ramadan announced her resignation at the National Assembly Tuesday after 10 MPs filed a no-confidence motion against her.
The Minister announced her resignation in a speech at the end of a stormy discussion of the questioning addressed to her by MP Omar al-Tabtabai, saying: “I announce my resignation as, regrettably, companies and influential people are stronger than the right.”
Speaker Marzouq al-Ghanim announced that 10 lawmakers have presented a no-confidence request against Minister Ramadan.
This came during National Assembly discussions in an announced regular session on a grilling motion, which was supported and signed by Bader al-Mulla, Thamer al-Sweit, Khalid al-Otaibi, Abdul Wahab al-Babtain, Abdul-Karim al-Kandari, Adel al-Damkhi, Mohammed Hayif, Abdullah Fahad, Shuaib al-Muwaisri, and Riyadh al-Adasani.
Tabtabai said that the Ministry of Public Works failed to address obstacles and basic infrastructure problems despite its 2019-20 plan that included major projects aimed at transforming the country into a global financial center.
The Ministry failed to disclose the dates of commencement of major projects and provide an estimate of when said projects will finish, indicated the legislator, noting that Kuwait was placed fifth GCC-wise in executing development projects, Tabtabai was quoted by KUNA.
He questioned when Minister Ramadan would provide the annual plan for the projects, revealing that the current fiscal year has five years remaining. He also rejected Ramadan’s claim that the issues mentioned in the interrogation stemmed from previous Ministers, adding that mistakes persisted and she did not address any.
In her reply, Minister Ramadan said that despite the decision of the Central Agency for Public Tenders to deny some companies from entering in future tenders, they have no right to withdraw the current projects from these companies.
Ramadan said she expects MP Tabtabai to address the issues she has about the questioning.
She reiterated her question as to why she was held responsible for issues that did not happen in her time, stressing that she refuted the interrogation fully and thoroughly.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly announced the Council will discuss the request for grilling against Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled al-Jarrah in a public session.
The questioning submitted by MP Riyadh al-Adsani was based on financial irregularities and extravagance of the Interior Ministry's budget.
