KUWAIT: The agony of an illegal car race that has claimed the lives of five young Kuwaiti men has crippled political activity in the country and overshadowed the statements made by lawmakers on Tuesday. The MPs have heavily criticized car racing on Kuwait''s roads, saying that the trend poses a great danger to the lives of the motorists themselves, as well as those also travelling on Kuwait''s roads. The Ministry of Interior is now coming under severe criticism over its failure to stem the growing phenomenon in the country.
Monday evening an illegal car race killed five and injured 18, some of whom remain in critical condition. The injured are being treated in Jahra Hospital. According to security sources, the accident took place while two cars were involved in a race at midnight on the Doha Expressway. It has been gathered that the high number of casualties is attributed to the crash of the two vehicles that were chasing each other. One of the vehicles reportedly swerved toward onlookers who were watching the race on the roadside, and the driver failed to avoid the group due to his high speed.
In other news, National Assembly Speaker Jassem AlÜKharafi affirmed Kuwait''s eagerness to further cement KuwaitiÜIranian relations at all levels, particularly since the two sides share similar views on many issues, while Iranian counterpart Ali Larijani said that Iran is keen on establishing excellent and strong ties with Kuwait, particularly in the parliamentary domain. He extended an invitation to AlÜKharafi to visit the Islamic Republic of Iran.
MP Waleed AlÜTabtabaie, who chairs the Parliamentary Human Rights Society, announced that the committee decided, during its meeting on Tuesday, to task the government to draw up a plan to reduce dependence on foreign domestic workers by providing daycares at government institutions. He added that the discussion was made in the presence of a number of government representatives, including the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs and Social Affairs and Labor, among others. Speaking to reporters, the outspoken MP accused the government of being reluctant to introduce a bill to regulate domestic labor.
"The committee deliberated over sheltering maids and their problems after emerging out of their embassies," the lawmaker asserted, adding that the government has previously promised to set up a shelter for maids that would accommodate around 700, and that it will be ready by next July. The MP went on to say that the committee is to study a bill that regulates the relationship between employees and employers, adding that the draft bill was originally introduced by MP Saleh Ashour. He noted that the proposal that calls for setting up a government authority to recruit domestic labor will be discussed, rather than the existing domestic labor recruitment agencies.
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Last updated on Wednesday 27/1/2010
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