AMIR ACCEPTS CABINET RESIGNATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001175 SIPDIS NEA/ARP, NEA/I E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KU SUBJECT: AMIR ACCEPTS CABINET RESIGNATION REF: KUWAIT 1166 Classified By: Political Counselor Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and d Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) After nearly a week of political uncertainty over a potential dissolution of parliament, the Amir on December 1 instead accepted the resignation of Kuwait's Cabinet, which had been tendered after the ministers' dramatic walkout from a November 25 parliamentary session (reftel). The announcement was made shortly after Speaker Al-Khorafi adjourned an emergency meeting of MPs. PM Shaykh Nasser Al Sabah is expected to retain his position, at least for now. A Cabinet reshuffle is expected in coming weeks. End Summary. Parliamentary Dissolution on Hold? -------------- ¶2. (C) By accepting the Cabinet's resignations, the dissolution of parliament, which many believed was imminent, may now be on indefinite hold. Confounding the skeptics, Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi told the press last week that Amir Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah had no intention of dissolving the Parliament; and in a show of support for his beleaguered PM, the Amir reportedly remarked last week that PM Shaykh Nasser Al Sabah was in direct line of succession to become Amir (after Shaykh Sabah and Crown Prince Shaykh Nawaf). The Amir's statement signaled that he would not tolerate attempts by the MPs to grill the PM. Comment: The Way Forward -------------- ¶3. (C) The next step in this saga will likely be a Cabinet reshuffle. Based on the Amir's continued support of the PM, Embassy interlocutors expect Shaykh Nasser to remain in position, perhaps with a mandate from the Amir to rebuild his Cabinet with ministers who are more "heavy-handed." Recent Cabinets were designed to conciliate Parliamentary factions or reflect tribal allegiances and "keep MPs in line." These strategies have proven ineffective. Accordingly, some insiders expect the new Cabinet to have new faces -- not necessarily technocrats, but individuals with the will and ability to push back against bellicose parliamentarians. Most observers regard the PM himself as the weakest link, however, and predictions of future progress -- with him remaining at the helm -- remain bleak. Appointment of a new Cabinet is not likely before early December's Eid Al-Adha holidays, but could be delayed for some time. The Amir is not constitutionally bound to name a new cabinet according to a particular timetable, and may wish to avoid having the issue become a distraction as the Kuwait-hosted Arab Economic Summit scheduled for mid-January approaches. End comment. ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * JONES