Kuwait emir ouster sparks calls for power-sharing

By Haitham Haddadin

KUWAIT (Reuters) – Kuwait’s parliamentary ouster of its
ailing ruler has sparked calls for reforms in the oil-producing
country to prevent a chaotic transition of power, allow parties
and appoint a premier from outside the ruling al-Sabah family.

Lawmakers hailed this week’s assembly vote, which ended a
succession crisis in the major oil producer, as a triumph for
the rule of law in a region dominated by autocratic
governments.

But they said the new emir must now put in place a
political system that would ensure a smooth transition of power
in the future and appoint a prime minister who is not from
al-Sabah family, which has ruled the country for more than two
centuries.

“Kuwait shouldn’t stop sailing toward a brighter future,”
columnist Bashar al-Sayegh wrote in Al-Seyassah daily.

“This requires the government to take the actual steps to
complete the political and economic reform process,” he added,
saying political forces want “more freedoms and a civic society
of equality and justice.”

Parliament on Tuesday voted out emir Sheikh Saad al-Abdulla
al-Sabah on health grounds, resolving a power dispute within
the ruling family that had gripped the country since he took
over after his cousin’s death on January 15.

Cabinet then named prime minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad
al-Sabah, Kuwait’s de facto ruler for years, as the new emir.

The elected assembly — the first in the Gulf region — has
a long history of challenging the government, which is
dominated by the ruling family. But parliament’s executive
powers are limited and the al-Sabahs occupy key government
posts.

POWER-SHARING

Sheikh Sabah’s appointment as emir, which is expected to be
confirmed by parliament on Sunday, will formalize a role he has
played in the past four years due to the illness of both the
late emir, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, and his heir.

His appointment broke with a tradition in the Sabah family
of alternating leadership between its two rival clans. The late
emir, and Sheikh Sabah, are from the Jaber branch while the
deposed Sheikh Saad is from the Salem branch.

Although parliament intervened decisively to put an end to
what was shaping up as a chaotic transition, the jostle for
power, within the ruling family and between parliament and
Kuwait’s rulers, still lies below the surface.

Analysts expect Sheikh Sabah, whose branch of the family
dominate top cabinet posts, to appoint a Salem as crown prince
to appease the family. They say a likely contender is Foreign
Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Salem al-Sabah.

Opposition newspaper al-Taleea said in an editorial there
was a pressing need to enact more reforms, including the
appointment of a non-Sabah as prime minister. The paper also
said the government must adhere to a 2003 decree that separated
the posts of crown prince and prime minister.

Kuwait has some political groups but does not allow
political parties. Parliament has asked for legalizing parties.

Sheikh Sabah, 77, has overseen a reform drive which gained
momentum after the 1991 U.S.-led war that freed Kuwait from a
seven-month Iraqi occupation.

His government pushed through parliament a decree granting
women the vote in 2005 and he has also opened up the economy.

As emir, he will have even more authority to push for
deeper economic and political reforms, analysts said.

“The implication is more democracy and more maturity for
Kuwait’s political system,” said analyst Shafeeq Ghabra.

“That means moving on a lot of issues the country needs
such as economic and political growth, the ability to reform
the electoral districts and deepen the democratic process.”