The Hindu : Kuwaiti ruler sets a precedent

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 14, 2003

International

International

Kuwaiti ruler sets a precedent

The newly-appointed Kuwaiti Prime Minister, Sheikh Sabah Al Sabah.

KUWAIT CITY July 13. Kuwait's Emir on Sunday appointed Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah as Prime Minister, separating the post from the Crown Prince for the first time in a move seen as a step toward political reforms.

Sheik Sabah (74), is the brother of the Emir, Sheik Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah. He has served as Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

Sheik Sabah has been running the country since Sheik Saad, the Crown Prince and outgoing Prime Minister, fell ill with colon problems in 1997 and had to spend long periods abroad for treatment.

An announcer on the state-owned Kuwait Television read the Emir order that appointed Sheik Sabah Prime Minister and asked him to form a Cabinet. Under the Constitution, the Cabinet will have to be approved by the ruler.

There were strong calls for separating the positions in rallies ahead of July 5 parliamentary elections.

The move makes the Prime Minister more accountable to the people.

Mohammed al-Saqer, who won one of the 50 seats in the House, told voters in a speech before elections that matters of the state could no longer be run by a man who didn't have full powers. Sheik Saad deserved to rest and ``Kuwait deserved a full-time Prime Minister,'' he said.

The country's 1962 Constitution empowers the Emir to appoint a Prime Minister but does not specify if he has to be the Crown Prince, or even a member of the ruling family. But since independence from Britain in 1961, the Crown Prince has always held the post.

Abul-Ridha Asiri, a political science teacher at Kuwait University, said Sunday's ``precedent'' was an indication that the ruling family ``was tuned to the aspirations and pressures of the people.'' He said it opens the door to appointing a Prime Minister from outside the ruling family.

Prof. Asiri said lawmakers have found it ``awkward'' to question a Prime Minister who will become the country's ruler.

``It could be seen as throwing doubt on the credibility of the future Emir,'' he said.

The Cabinet resigned on Sunday in a routine move, a day after Kuwaitis elected a new legislature that further tightened the grip of fundamentalist Muslims and supporters of the Cabinet, led by the ruling family.

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