More than 100 interpellation motions have been submitted by parliamentarians over the 58-year history of the National Assembly. Of these so called ‘grillings’, 57 were filed during the last three sessions of parliament from 2009 to 2019, and 19 of them were tabled during the last legislative term. Here is a look-back on interpellations during the 15th legislative term that began on December 2016.
The first interpellation was in January 2017, shortly after the legislative term began and was directed against the Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.The second and third were against the then Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, in April 2017.
The fourth, in October 2017, was against Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Acting Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah. The start of 2018 saw an interpellation tabled against Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hind Al-Subeeh. This was followed in March by the grilling of Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Adel Al-Kharafi.
April 2018 was a hectic month for interpellations, with three motions filed; the first, against Minister of Oil and Minister of Water and Electricity Bakheet Al-Rashidi; the second against the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah; and the third against Minister of Social Affairs, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh.
June 2018 witnessed another grilling against the former prime minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. In September, an interpellation was directed at Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Adel Al-Kharafi. The year ended with another grilling against the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah in November 2018.
The new year got off to a good start with Minister of Commerce and Industry, as well as Minister of State for Services Khaled Al-Roudhan being grilled in March, and the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh facing interpellation in April. The fourth month of the year appears especially attractive for grilling, as there were two more during the month, the first against Information Minister and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Mohammad Al-Jabri, and the second against the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.
June 2019 appears to be have been less than fortuitous to Minister of Finance Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf, as he faced two motions against him during the month. In November, he faced yet another interpellation, but by then a ‘grilling-fatigued’ Dr. Al-Hajraf probably decided to call it quits and exited the Cabinet.
Midway through November 2019, two more interpellations were filed, against Minister of Public Works and Housing Jenan Ramadan, as well as one against Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah. The entire Cabinet then tendered its resignation on 14 November.
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