KUWAIT: With the Cabinet set to be sworn in next week, news reports continue to speculate on the names of candidates that are likely to gain key portfolios. HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah will focus on realizing achievements that are top priority.
Former justice minister Meshary Al-Anjari, is touted to be Sheikh Jaber's choice as the first-ever First Deputy Prime Minister in Kuwait's history to be chosen out of Al-Sabah ruling family. Al-Anjari may be given the Minister of Cabinet Affairs post, whereas Hawally governor Abdullah Al-Faris is mentioned in several report as the likely frontrunner for the Ministry of Interior post. If that were to happen, Al-Faris will be the first interior minister to not be selected from Al-Sabah family.
Meanwhile, Al-Qabas mentioned yesterday (Friday) Army Chief-of-Staff, Major General Ahmad Al-Khalid Al-Sabah as a candidate for the Ministry of Defense, as well as former oil minister Abdulmuhsin Al-Medej for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. However, it later mentions that this portfolio could be returned to Dr Amani Buresli who held it in the previous cabinet. The report also quotes sources who added that Mustafa Al-Shamali is likely to retain his post as Minister of Finance, while Ahmad Al-Mulaifi will return only as Minister of Justice with a new minister appointed for the education and higher education ministries.
And while Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah and Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah are mentioned in numerous reports as likely candidates that will retain their posts as foreign minister and information minister respectively, Al-Qabas reports that Sheikh Hamad is likely to be excluded from the cabinet. It is also speculated that Salafists refuse to join the cabinet with Al-Qabas reporting that the Islamic Salafist Movement is not thrilled with the notion that its member MP Ali Al-Omair could be offered a position in the cabinet. Former minister Ahmad Baqer may return to the cabinet if his Salafist movement relents on its stance on taking part in the next formation. Meanwhile, Dr Fadhel Safar may retain his Minister of Public Works and State Minister of Municipality Affairs posts which he has held since May 2008.
In other news, MP Ahmad Lari announced that he plans, along with fellow Shiite lawmaker Adnan Abdulsamad to form a 'middle bloc' with members from the opposition and pro-government bloc. In the meantime, MP Mohammad Al-Khalifa said in a recent statement that his Popular Action Bloc(PAB) discussed coordinating with parliamentary committees.
Al-Khalifa was also present during a public seminar held recently by religious activists to promote efforts to amend Article 2 of the Constitution, and stressed on PAB's support for the idea. The gathering was also attended by MP Mohammad Hayef, a strong supporter to present a proposal to render Sharia law as the only source of legislation in the country, Al-Qabas.
Meanwhile, Islamic Constitutional Movement(ICM) member MP Mohammad Al-Dallal hinted in recent statement that all ICM lawmakers could join the Development and Reform Bloc(DRB) which includes four Islamist MPs: Faisal Al-Mislem, Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, Jamaan Al-Harbash and Falah Al-Sawagh. Islamists lawmakers plan to meet at Al-Mislem's house tomorrow (Sunday) to coordinate for running in parliamentary committees, said Al-Tabtabaei in a recent statement to Al-Rai.
In the meantime, the opposition is reportedly growing skeptical of the large number of MPs that announced support for MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun's speakership bid. According to sources, this led them to consider the idea of having an oppositionist lawmaker escort an MP that might not commit to promises. However, sources within the Parliament's general secretariat office indicate that voting for speakership is a confidential process, no MP will be allowed to joined by another individual while voting is in process.
© Kuwait Times 2012
