KUWAIT CITY // Kuwaiti MPs are unlikely to vote on ratifying a Gulf security pact during the current legislative term, the parliament speaker said yesterday, amid concerns it would undermine constitutional freedoms.
Marzouk Al Ghanem told a press conference that a majority of MPs supporting and opposing the pact have called for delaying its ratification and that "no decision will be taken on it in the current parliamentary term" which closes at the end of June.
The next term normally opens in late October.
The pact calls for the extradition of anyone accused of carrying out political or security activities against a member state and allows members to seek military and security assistance from other GCC states to counter unrest.
Opponents say the pact would undermine freedom of expression, and several political groups have started holding public rallies warning it will turn Kuwait into a police state.
The speaker called on the government not to press for immediate ratification and to respond positively with the majority of the legislature.
Mr Al Ghanem said he has asked parliament's constitutional experts to prepare a comprehensive legal study on the security pact and distribute it to all the 50 MPs who have requested expert opinions before debating the agreement.
Kuwait is the only member of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council not to ratify the security pact, which was approved at a summit in Bahrain in December 2012 and signed by GCC interior ministers, including Kuwait's, a month earlier.
The security agreement was specially modified to enable Kuwait to join after it refused to take part in an earlier pact introduced in 1994, saying it violated the constitution.
* Agence France-Presse
List of alleged parties
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- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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