VZCZCXRO2118
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHKU #0258 0511432
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201432Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8351
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000258 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR WALLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KU NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
SUBJECT: MPS SUBMIT NO CONFIDENCE MOTION ON HEALTH MINISTER 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 195 
     ¶B. KUWAIT 56 
     ¶C. 06 KUWAIT 4665 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified; not for Internet distribution. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Shaykh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 
the Minister of Health and the Amir's nephew, was brought 
before Parliament February 19 and questioned for ten hours on 
alleged corruption and mismanagement in his ministry and on 
the overall deterioration of health services in the country. 
Significantly, Shaykh Ahmed is the first descendant of 
Mubarak Al-Kabir, the founder of modern Kuwait, to be 
"grilled" by Parliament, though not the first Al-Sabah.  The 
three MPs questioning the Minister presented hundreds of 
documents to support their case, which were highlighted and 
displayed on the Assembly's two large video screens.  The 
galleries were packed with observers and the overall ambiance 
of the grilling was cordial.  After the marathon session, ten 
parliamentarians -- not including the three questioning MPs 
-- submitted a no confidence motion on the Minister, which is 
scheduled to be voted on March 5.  Eight of the ten MPs were 
part of the 17-member Islamic Bloc in Parliament, as were two 
of the questioning MPs.  The motion needs 25 votes to pass, 
since Cabinet members, who serve as ex officio MPs, cannot 
vote on no confidence motions.  If passed, Shaykh Ahmed would 
be the first Minister in the history of Kuwait's 
parliamentary democracy to be forced to resign from his post 
by a vote of no confidence.  In November, Minister of 
Information Mohammed Al-Sanousi resigned rather than face a 
parliamentary grilling. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) After the grilling, the Prime Minister said he was 
proud of this demonstration of "Kuwait's deep-rooted 
democracy."  He also thanked the questioning MPs for 
presenting their case in a "good manner" and promised to 
address the problems in the Health Ministry they highlighted. 
 Observers are split over whether the Minister will resign 
before the March 5 session to avoid a potential ouster, or 
face the no confidence vote and prevail.  One Islamist MP 
told Poloffs February 12 that he opposed the grilling and did 
not think a no confidence motion would pass (ref A). 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The director of a local pro-reform NGO told LES 
Political Specialist that the Speaker of Parliament, merchant 
families, and Salafi Islamists were behind the grilling, 
which they hoped would force the Prime Minister to reshuffle 
the Cabinet.  According to him, the Speaker, Jassem 
Al-Khorafi, wanted the Prime Minister to replace the Minister 
of Commerce, whom he blamed for the recent decision to freeze 
shares of several Al-Khorafi Group companies over a hostile 
takeover dispute.  The NGO director claimed the Salafi 
Islamic Grouping's (a conservative political association) 
target was the State Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Dr. Ismail 
Al-Shatti, whom the group blamed for the recent decision to 
cancel a number of government contracts with several leading 
Kuwaiti companies, including one in which former Salafi MP 
Dr. Fahd Al-Khanna had a stake.  The NGO director predicted a 
Cabinet reshuffle prior to the March 5 session. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Comment: While the NGO director's information 
cannot be verified, it highlights the complex and often 
competing interests involved in this grilling, which make 
predicting the ultimate outcome particularly difficult.  Some 
suggest back room deals may be made to prevent the Minister's 
forced resignation, which, if it happens, could merely 
demonstrate the effectiveness of grillings as a means of 
eliciting Government concessions.  Indeed, several MPs have 
already threatened additional grillings in the near future, 
suggesting that the tension between the Government and 
Parliament is unlikely to dissipate any time soon.  End 
comment. 
 
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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/ 
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