Kuwait MP barred from parliament for spitting

A controversial Kuwaiti MP was on Thursday barred from entering parliament for two weeks for spitting on a colleague inside the chamber amid allegations he was drunk. MPs unanimously agreed to apply the internal charter on Mohammad al-Juwaihel to bar him from entering the parliament building or attending meetings of committees for two weeks. Several MPs testified during the debate that they saw Juwaihel spit on opposition Islamist MP Hamad Matar and then make "immoral" gestures during the session. A proposal to ask police to arrest Juwaihel to examine him for alcohol, totally banned in the conservative Muslim state, was referred to parliament's legal panel to see if the request was in line with the law. Lawmakers in Kuwait enjoy immunity and protection against arrest or interrogation by the judiciary while parliament is in session. Several opposition MPs said that Juwaihel was coming to parliament while drunk and MP Mussallam al-Barrak alleged that he was being backed by a number of ruling family members. Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah categorically denied the allegation. Juwaihel, who was elected to parliament for the first time in February, caused an uproar in the Gulf state when he launched a campaign against Bedouin tribes. Ahead of the February 2 election, tribesmen burned down his election tent after he allegedly insulted a major tribe.