MARCH MADNESS: KUWAITI CABINET RESIGNS AGAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000255 SIPDIS NEA/ARP, E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KU SUBJECT: MARCH MADNESS: KUWAITI CABINET RESIGNS AGAIN REF: A. KUWAIT 214 ¶B. KUWAIT 34 ¶C. 2008 KUWAIT 1204 ¶D. 2008 KUWAIT 1178 ¶E. 2008 KUWAIT 1175 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and d Kuwaiti Cabinet Resigns -------------- ¶1. (C) As widely expected (ref A),on March 16, just prior to the March 17 scheduled session of parliament, Kuwaiti Amir Shaykh Sabah accepted the resignation of Kuwait's Cabinet, which had been tendered earlier in the day. PM Shaykh Nasser chose to lead his Cabinet in resigning rather than face an unprecedented three interpellations from MPs on allegations of constitutional violations, misuse of public funds by his office and allowing the demolition of mosques. The Cabinet, including beleaguered PM Shaykh Nasser, will continue running the government in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed. ¶2. (C) Despite a recent crescendo of calls to replace Shaykh Nasser, there are no clear indications on whether the Amir will retain or remove him. A wide effort by poloffs to sound out insiders revealed that, despite scattered conclaves being convened behind tightly closed doors by power brokers within the parliamentary blocs and the ruling family, the universal message remains that no one really knows what will happen next, except the Amir -- and many doubt that even he has a vision of how to move forward. Parliament Speaker: "God Help Us All." -------------- ¶3. (C) As attention riveted on the Cabinet resignation, uncertainty rose over the fate of the parliament, with many Kuwaitis publicly speculating on the likelihood that the Amir would decree an unconstitutional dissolution of the body. (Note: One interlocutor predicted to POLOFF that the Amir would appoint a new, "stronger" Cabinet, then dissolve parliament unconstitutionally at the first provocation by the current parliament. End note). In public statements, Speaker Jassem al-Khorafi expressed his bleak outlook and that of the country by saying that Kuwait was entering "a dark, dark night with black clouds. God help us all." ********************************************* ********* For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it ********************************************* ********* O'DONOHUE