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Arabia

Islamists make strong showing in Kuwait gov't

2006-02-10

Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah on Thursday issued a decree approving a 16-member new Cabinet that includes three Islamists and saw the exit of two leading liberal ministers. Six ministers in the new government are members of the ruling Al Sabah family — including Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammed Al Ahmad Al Sabah. The family continues to hold the key porfolios of interior, defence, foreign affairs and energy. Like the previous lineup, the new Cabinet includes only one woman minister, Maasouma Al Mubarak, who retained the planning ministry. The naming of Kuwait's 22nd Cabinet since independence in 1961 came just two days after the emir asked his nephew Sheikh Nasser to form a new government. He also appointed his half-brother, former interior minister Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah as crown prince, thus maintaining the two posts separate since they were first split in 2003, a step that was welcomed by most Kuwaitis. Sheikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Sabah, the deputy premier and defence minister in the outgoing Cabinet, was promoted to first deputy prime minister and also handed the key defence and interior ministries. Foreign Minister Mohammad Al Sabah retained his post and promoted to deputy premier. Sheikh Ahmad Fahd Al Sabah, another nephew of the emir, retained the portfolio of energy, combining the ministries of oil and electricity. Sheikh Nasser, 65, replaced 76-year-old Sheikh Sabah, who had been prime minister since 2003 after becoming emir following the ouster by parliament of former ailing ruler Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah. The unprecedented ouster followed a crisis over succession after the death on January 15 of Emir Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah. Besides the prime minister, the new Cabinet has five new faces, including Yussef Al Zalzalah, an Islamist Shiite MP and former university professor, appointed commerce and industry minister, replacing liberal Abdullah Al Tawil. A member of the Islamic Constitutional Movement, or Muslim Brotherhood, former MP Ismail Al Shatti, was appointed minister of communications. Moderate constitutional expert and academic Adel Al Tabtabai was named education minister in place of Rasheed Al Hamad and Sheikh Ali Al Jarrah Al Sabah was appointed minister of social affairs and labour, replacing Faisal Al Hajji, a leading liberal figure. Abdullah Al Muhailbi, chairman of the municipal council and a prominent tribal figure, was named minister of municipality and environment, a new post in the Cabinet. Abdullah Al Muatuq, an Islamist, retained the Awqaf and Islamic affairs portfolio in addition to the justice post. Former justice minister Ahmad Baqer, an MP from the hardline Salafi movement, was not retained. For only the second time in Kuwait's history, the new Cabinet has two Shiite Muslim ministers instead of the usual one. They are Zalzalah and Mubarak. The first time was in 1992.

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Arabia

Kuwait rulers in succession wrangle after death of emir

2006-01-20

The Kuwaiti ruling family remained at odds Thursday over succession issues following the emir's death, leaving the oil-rich Gulf state in a political impasse. Top members of the Al-Sabah family held lengthy meetings Tuesday and Wednesday on issues such as the appointment of a new crown prince and a prime minister, but failed to reach decisions, sources close to the family told AFP. They also discussed further arrangements to strike a balance between various wings of the family, especially the Al Salem and Al Jaber lines which have been alternating the position of head of state for the past 85 years. The family has not set a date for further meetings and were not expected to meet on Thursday or Friday, the Muslim weekend, the sources said. Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, 75, who is from the Al Salem branch, was named as the new emir on Sunday, but questions have been raised about his health and his ability to read out the constitutional oath before parliament. The prime minister and strongman, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, 76, who has been running the day-to-day affairs of the emirate for several years, is the strong favourite to become crown prince. He is from the Al-Jaber line. According to the sources, there was almost total unanimity on Sheikh Sabah for the position of crown prince, but differences remained on whether he should also hold the premiership. The two posts were split in 2003. UPDATE: KUWAIT CITY - Kuwait’s ruling Al Sabah family has overwhelmingly backed Prime Minister Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah to become emir to replace the emirate’s new ailing ruler, a top family source told AFP on Friday. “The overwhelming majority of the family came this morning to the house of Shaikh Sabah and expressed complete trust in him to become new emir in light of the health condition of the current emir,” the source said on condition of anonymity. “Shaikh Sabah accepted their request” during the meeting attended by nearly all senior members of the ruling family, said the source. Shaikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, 75, who was named emir on Sunday following the death of Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has been experiencing poor health since undergoing colon surgery in 1997. Maybe it's just me, but this looks a lot like jockeying for position in a posh old folks' home.

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Arabia

Crown prince assumes throne on death of Kuwaiti emir

2006-01-16

Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the emir of Kuwait and one of the United States' closest Mideast allies, was buried in an unmarked grave Sunday — a ceremony attended by thousands of weeping citizens who mourned the death of an admired ruler. The crown prince, Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah — in his mid-70s and ailing himself — assumed the throne but was expected to leave control of day-to-day government affairs to the veteran prime minister. No major policy shifts were foreseen. Sheikh Jaber, who was restored to power by American forces after Saddam Hussein invaded the tiny, oil-rich country in 1990, was 79 when he died after 27 years in power. He was one of the few Arab rulers who supported the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam. He allowed his country to be used as a launchpad for the American drive to Baghdad. The new emir, who suffers from a colon condition and must travel abroad periodically for medical treatment, watched from a wheelchair as the body of his distant cousin, wrapped in a Kuwaiti flag, was carried shoulder-high through a crowd of 10,000 mourners and lowered into the grave after a brief prayer. Members of the ruling family, including Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, stood for hours at Al Sulaybikhat public cemetery to accept condolences from dignitaries and ordinary Kuwaitis. Sheikh Sabah is the former emir's half brother. Abdul-Rhida Asiri, head of the political science department at Kuwait University, said the prime minister will become the "de facto ruler" for now, and the family could make further leadership decisions after the mourning period. The close alliance with the US is not likely to change under Sheikh Saad. Washington named Kuwait a major non-NATO ally in 2004. Kuwait signed a defence pact with Washington after a US-led coalition fought the 1991 Gulf War that liberated Kuwait from a seven-month Iraqi occupation under Saddam. The small state's strategic significance lays mainly with its oil, the 10th largest reserves in the world. Al Sabah family has ruled Kuwait for more than 250 years, and enjoys respect and approval of Kuwaitis.

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Arabia

Kuwaiti Amir may install a new heir

2005-10-14

KUWAIT CITY — A crisis in the ruling family of Kuwait, which has a tenth of world oil reserves, is likely to usher in a new heir to the ailing Amir whose existing crown prince is also ill, diplomats and analysts said yesterday. They said the most prominent candidate is an enigmatic yet colorful man known by his initials, "P.D." Prime Minister Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the Amir’s half-brother, who has been running Kuwait’s affairs for the past four years due to the illness of the other two leaders. “We expect some positive changes ... We expect the nomination of at least a crown prince, a new one,” said analyst and former oil minister Ali Al Baghli. “It’s in the hands of the Amir to nominate the crown prince and then this should be confirmed by parliament.” Under the constitution, Crown Prince Shaikh Saad Al Abdulla Al Sabah, 76, will succeed his cousin the Amir, His Highness Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, 77. With a long-ailing Amir and an even more seriously ill crown prince, the pressure on the Gulf state’s ruling family has mounted in recent months to clarify who is next in line. The crisis became public this week when the eldest member in the Sabah dynasty, Shaikh Salem Ali Al Sabah, called for his son to inherit the bejeweled turban collective leadership — a rare outburst which highlighted concerns about a possible power vacuum. Diplomats say that by keeping Shaikh Saad as heir apparent, the Opec nation risks a potential constitutional crisis when the Amir dies since his successor is not fit to rule. “Some people point out the health condition of the crown prince ... It may be a sign that his health is really not good and that this may be accelerating the process for change in the ruling family,” one diplomat told Reuters. “The changes could be promoting Shaikh Sabah to become crown prince, maybe as a transitional measure. There are no strong candidates from the other Sabah branch,” he said. But Shaikh Sabah’s appointment might cause discontent within the family because it would go against Kuwait’s tradition of alternating power between the two branches of the Sabah family. The current Amir and the prime minister are both from the Jabbering Jaber branch which also holds several top cabinet posts. The crown prince is from the Winston Salem clan whose only other senior official is the foreign minister. Decision taken: Shaikh Saad, who has been in London for medical treatment since August, is due back in Kuwait this month. He had colon surgery in 1997 and spent a week in hospital this year with hyperglycaemia. The Amir suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2001. "Nurse! He's doing it again!" Most diplomats ruled out any prospect that Shaikh Saad had any chance of becoming the future Amir. “I think the family will meet to appoint someone else,” said a diplomat. A strong indication that the prime minister was the front-runner for the post was the Amir’s swift backing of his government following Shaikh Salem’s scathing attack. In a statement, the Amir promised to “settle matters in the interest of Kuwait’s security and stability”. Analysts said this leaves little doubt about Shaikh Sabah’s powerful status. Shaikh Sabah, a veteran politician in his 70s, is widely respected for ushering some economic and political reforms since coming to power in July 2003, including granting women the vote. Leading daily Al Qabas said in an editorial the Amir has effectively “settled matters” by publicly praising Shaikh Sabah. “The renewal of the Amir’s trust in Shaikh Sabah should be a real boost to the government,” it said. “It should be an impetus for Shaikh Sabah to start taking his own decisions.”

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Arabia

New information minister named

2005-04-02

Kuwait named a new information minister on Wednesday, two months after his predecessor quit as he was about to be questioned in parliament over allowing "immoral" Western-style concerts in the country. The Emir, His Highness Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, appointed Anas Mohammad Ahmad Al Reshaid to the post, the state news agency Kuna said. Former minister Mohammad Abulhassan resigned in January before he was due to be questioned by Islamist MPs over several allegations, including approving concerts in the country which were seen by the lawmakers as violating Sharia law.

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Arabia

Kuwaiti cabinet approves new "strategy" to combat terror

2005-02-06

KUWAIT CITY - Kuwait said on Sunday it has approved a new "strategy" to combat terrorism following gun battles with militants and vowed to crush terrorists. I have a simple strategy for you, call on me, me, pick me ... The cabinet reviewed during its weekly session a "strategy to deal with the phenomenon of terrorism and extremist ideology," prepared by Kuwait's National Security Council, an official statement said, without giving details. "The cabinet asked the council to ... coordinate with other concerned authorities to formulate practical programmes necessary to combat the ideology of extremism and violence at all levels with the aim to uproot this scourge." You could call it, "killing terrorists". The cabinet also approved the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and referred it to Emir Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah before sending it to parliament for endorsement. The treaty was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 1999 in a bid to drain sources of funding terrorists. Interior Minister Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah said the number of terrorists being hunted by Kuwaiti security forces was "small" and would be crushed. "The gang of terrorists is small and will be wiped out completely ... Criminals and wanted men will not escape the hand of justice," the minister told the state KUNA news agency. He seems to have the right idea. He said security forces were still hunting for Mohsen Al Fadhli and Khaled Al Dosari, the two most wanted men who have been at large for months and whose names re-emerged after the latest clashes. Local media and everyone else have linked the two with the Al-Qaeda network and Saudi militants. Islamic Affairs Minister Abdullah Al Maatuk on Sunday formed a panel of religious scholars and academics with a mission to "strengthen moderate (Islamic) ideology and confront extremism". They've also established a dancing school for dogs.

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Arabia

Kuwait minister quits over 'Western' concerts issue

2005-01-03

Kuwait's information minister resigned yesterday, one day before he was due to be questioned in parliament mainly over allowing "immoral" Western-style concerts in the country. Mohammad Abulhasan handed in his resignation to Prime Minister Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the state news agency Kuna reported, adding that it was sent to the Amir, His Highness Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, to decide whether to accept it. "I handed in my resignation ... not to avoid serving my country or in fear of political questioning, but to protect my country from political discussions, skirmishes and wrangling from which we would all lose," Kuna quoted Abulhasan as saying. "I quit!" Shaikh Sabah said that Labour Minister Faisal Al Hajji would oversee the information ministry for the time being, Kuna said. Abulhasan, the only Shia minister in the 18-member cabinet, was due to be questioned today by some MPs over allegations including neglect of social values after he approved music concerts deemed un-Islamic by critics. Shaikh Sabah has warned that the questioning, demanded by Sunni MPs, could lead to sectarian rifts in the state if it were mishandled. Shias make up one-third of the pro-Western country's population of 950,000 and hold five seats in the 50-member parliament. How, um, democratic. Waleed Al Tabtabae, a key critical MP, accused Abulhasan of "running away from political responsibility" by resigning and said there were no differences between Shia and Sunni members of parliament over the case. "The questioning covers issues agreed upon by both Sunnis and Shi'ites which is to protect values and morals," he told Arab satellite television Al Arabiya. "We do not object to serious and composed concerts, but we oppose events which encourage corruption and immorality."  Send this man a Britney Spears concert tape and some .com photos from the file.

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Arabia

Kuwaiti MPs urge crown prince to retire

2004-11-03

Lawmakers in Kuwait's outspoken parliament yesterday made a rare call on the long-ailing crown prince to retire as part of reforms within the ruling Al Sabah family. Culminating two days of a heated debate on the government's programme, a number of MPs called for applying the "Emirate Succession Law" which governs changes in the Al Sabah family. Some MPs praised the services of ailing Crown Prince Shaikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah to Kuwait, but still said it would be better for the 73-year-old to retire. "Every Kuwaiti loves the crown prince, the liberation hero," said liberal opposition MP Ali Al Rashed. "But his health condition requires a decision. It is not a shame for the official to rest after performing his duties to his country." State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Sharar said MPs had no right to discuss issues relating to the ruling family. "So shaddup!" Rashed responded that it was within his rights to advise the emir for the best interests of the country. "I call for activating the Succession Law in such a way as to safeguard Kuwait and the dignified (ruling) family," MP Abdullah Al Roumi, a moderate opposition member, told the house. MP Adel Al Saraawi said the "contract" between Kuwaitis and the ruling family is a "pledge of loyalty not of submission," and called for a study of the issue within the framework of wider political and economic reforms. Son, you're just asking to get thumped. Shaikh Saad, a cousin of the Amir who became crown prince in 1978, returned home on Thursday after undergoing "successful routine medical checkups" for one month in Britain. He underwent colon surgery in 1997 and has since been regularly visiting Britain for medical examinations and colostomy bag changes treatment. The Amir, His Highness Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, on October 26 made his first public appearance since he returned late September from New York where he underwent routine medical checkups. He suffered a minor brain haemorrhage in 2001. "The drooling is a little thing. Why replace him?" The 75-year-old Amir has delegated most of his public duties to his half-brother, Prime Minister Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who took over the premiership last year. Gulf-based diplomats told AFP late September that Shaikh Sabah might be named crown prince in place of the ailing Shaikh Saad. But such plans appear to have been delayed because more time was needed for the settlement of internal family issues with sharp instruments, diplomatic sources said.

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