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Friday 8 April 2011

Amir reappoints Sheikh Nasser Prime Minister

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, reappointed Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah as Prime Minister on Tuesday and tasked him with forming the new Cabinet. The decision was officially announced in an Amiri decree.

The Amir ordered the reinstated prime minister to form a new government, announce it to the National Assembly and declare it in the state’s official gazette. The decision was according to Article 56 of the Constitution, which gives the Amir sole power of appointing who heads the Kuwaiti government.

Prior to the decree, the Amir met with various lawmakers, caretaker state ministers as well as Speaker of Parliament Jassem Al-Khorafi and veteran MP Ahmed Al-Saadoun, who was extensively in opposition to Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah.

Kuwait’s government officially resigned on March 31 in light of grilling requests submitted against various ministers by members of parliament. The government’s resignation was the sixth since His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah was appointed to his post in 2006 the last of which was in November 2009. The new government formation will be the PM’s seventh attempt at providing Kuwait with a stable government.

Reacting to the Amiri decision, members of parliament have expressed both optimism and caution amidst threats by opposition lawmakers who have stated that they will question Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah if he is reappointed. Independent and Shiite MPs have expressed their support for Sheikh Nasser, while Islamists and a number of Liberal MPs have opposed the reappointment.

Independent MPs welcomed the decision and praised Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah. They asserted that Kuwaiti society should accept the decision of His Highness the Amir, who has repeatedly expressed confidence in the PM.

Independent MP Khalaf Dumaitheer welcomed the reappointment and said that Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah holds the best of intentions to serve the country. He said that the preparations to grill the prime minister is a personal, hostile attack but expected that opposition lawmakers will be defeated again in their attempts. Dumaitheer added that it is not possible to grill a new government before they commence their work.

Independent MPs Saad Zunaifeer, Shuaib Al-Muwaizri, Saadoun Hammad and Askar Al-Enezi among others have also expressed the same, as well as Salafi MP, Ali Al-Omair. Meanwhile, Shiite MPs Hussein Al-Qallaf, Adnan Al-Mutawa, Yousef Al-Zalzalah and Faisal Al-Duwaisan thanked His Highness the Amir for his wise decision and called on Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah to appoint capable ministers.

Shiite MP Saleh Ashour expressed his confidence in the PM and said that he will decide whether to re-issue a request to grill former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabah, after the new government is formed. Ashour wanted to question the minister on Bahraini TV’s alleged insults of Kuwait, its people and institutions.

Moreover, prior to the government’s resignation, Shiite MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan wanted to grill the Minister of Information and Oil, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, for allowing Kuwait media to fuel sectarian tension in the country. Both MPs’ grilling requests were feared to cause further sectarian tension in the country.

Meanwhile, youth political activist group Kafi (Enough) immediately called for a protest in Al-Irada Square to demand that the PM apologize for accepting the position tasked upon him by His Highness the Amir. Kafi announced their protest via Twitter; however security officials arrived at the scene to disperse the demonstration.

Earlier, a signature collection campaign was launched by political youth groups, Kafi and Al-Sour Al-Khamis (the Fifth Fence) with support of the Popular Action Bloc (PAB) and the Development and Reform Bloc (DRB). The campaign requested His Highness the Amir not to re-appoint Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah.

They also wished to hold a demonstration on Tuesday to reiterate their requests during the coming political phase. The demonstration was to be held in Change Square and opposition lawmakers have announced their participation in the event.

Opposition lawmakers who form the liberal National Action Bloc (NAB) and the Islamist PAB and DRB have persistently targeted Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah with grilling requests and he survived two non-cooperation motions as a result. Grilling requests were also officially submitted against three ministers, who are members of the ruling family.

Recently, the PAB wished to question the PM on the misappropriation of public funds and on the legality of the Zain Telecommunications deal. Furthermore, the NAB wished to question Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Housing and Development, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Sabah. His grilling debate was scheduled for April 5.

The MPs who filed the grilling request threatened to pursue the questionings of controversial state ministers if they are reinstated to their posts. MPs Musllam Al-Barrak and Faisal Al-Muslim said that the questioning of Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah will still be on the PAB and the DRB’s agenda if he is reinstated as prime minister.

Independent MP Saifi Al-Saifi, who sought to question the Minister of Health along with MP Yousef Al-Zalzalah, has also stated that if Dr Hilal Al-Sayer was reappointed he will resubmit the grilling against him.

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