MP SAYS GOK ALLOWED HEALTH MINISTER'S RESIGNATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001462 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2015 TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL KU SUBJECT: MP SAYS GOK ALLOWED HEALTH MINISTER'S RESIGNATION TO MAKE ROOM FOR SHI'A MINISTER REF: A. KUWAIT 1449 ¶B. KUWAIT 1406 ¶C. KUWAIT 1349 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) During an April 9 meeting with the Ambassador and visiting Senior Advisor and Coordinator for Iraq Policy, Ambassador Richard Jones, Liberal MP Mohammed Jassem Al-Sager told the Ambassador the Prime Minister had committed a "big mistake" in not replacing former Information Minister Mohammed Abulhassan, who stepped down in January, or former Finance Minister Mahmoud Al-Nouri, whose resignation was accepted on April 3, with a Shi'a. Indicating that the GOK had allowed the Assembly's call for the resignation of Health Minister Mohammed Al-Jarallah to go unchallenged, the MP said the GOK "needed a spot for a Shi'a." ¶2. (C) Comment: The call for a vote of no confidence against Health Minister Mohammed Al-Jarallah, which precipitated the April 4 submission of his resignation and its April 9 acceptance by the GOK, was signed by all five of Kuwait's Shiite MPs, some of whom are government-leaning. As reported previously, Kuwait's Shi'a have traditionally had representation in Kuwait's government, and have now gone without since January of this year. Should the Prime Minister choose not to replace the Health Minister with a Shi'a (the rumored candidate is MP Dr. Yousef Al-Zalzalah), the GOK may face additional grillings. ********************************************* Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website ********************************************* LEBARON