KUWAIT: State-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) yesterday made the biggest ever shakeup in the top positions of its eight subsidiaries and a number of leading posts in KPC itself. The major restructuring replaced the managing directors of all the eight subsidiaries of KPC and appointed new executives for companies like Kuwait Oil Co (KOC), the oil production arm of KPC, Kuwait National Petroleum Co (KNPC), which operates the three refineries for Kuwait, and others.
Under the move, KOC managing director Sami Al-Rasheed, the most veteran oil executive, was among top oil officials who lost their jobs. He was replaced by Hashem Hashem. KNPC managing director Fahad Al-Adwah was also among those who were forced to retire and was replaced by Mohammad Al-Mutairi. Maha Mulla Al-Tarkait, the managing director of Petrochemicals Industries Co (PIC), also lost her job to Asaad Al-Saad. Tarkait and several other leading officials at PIC were suspended on Thursday over the $2.2 billion penalty payment to US' Dow Chemical and the whole issue was referred to the public prosecution.
The latest appointments come after the Cabinet on Thursday dismissed KPC chief executive officer Farouq Al-Zanki and appointed Nezar Al-Adasani to replace him. KPC insisted the decisions were not linked to the political crisis over Dow but aim at restructuring the oil sector to be able to cope with current and future challenges and to inject fresh blood in the sector by giving an opportunity to the second generation of executives. KPC also introduced a new system under which a chairman and a managing director are appointed for each oil company instead of a managing director alone.
Separately, National Assembly Apeaker Ali Al-Rashed said yesterday that HH the Amir told a group of MPs that the government will attend the May 28 parliamentary session after boycotting two sessions in protest against grillings. Rashed was speaking after he led a 17-strong parliamentary team in a meeting with the Amir which reviewed local developments. The government boycotted the Assembly sessions on May 14 and 15 after five MPs filed two separate requests to grill the oil and interior ministers over alleged violations that included the $2.2 billion payment to Dow.
Rashed however insisted that the highly anticipated ruling of the constitutional court on the amendment of the electoral constituency law was not discussed as the issue is totally left to the court and all are obliged to respect its verdict. The speaker also said the Amir told them he is following the great achievements of the Assembly and is very pleased with the achievements. He said members of the delegation were pleased with the satisfaction of the Amir over the achievements.
Meanwhile, Shiite MP Saleh Ashour charged yesterday that some ministers are conspiring against the Assembly with the aim to make it fail. Ashour said that the political situation in the country is unstable and "unfortunately, plots are being hatched against the National Assembly by some ministers in cooperation with some influential people with the aim to make it a failure." He provided no names.
The lawmaker also criticized the government's decisions to make key appointments or force senior government bureaucrats who served 30 years and above to retire, adding that the government which has resigned is not allowed to make such important decisions. Ashour also charged that a number of MPs are negotiating with the government to become members in the next Cabinet, describing such moves as a conspiracy. Ashour warned that the government will have to bear the political consequences of continuing to boycott the Assembly sessions.
© Kuwait Times 2013
