But sources familiar with the efforts believe that MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri, a leading opposition figure, may make history by becoming the first person to be appointed interior minister from outside the ruling family.
The move could not be independently confirmed. It is also expected that the current defense and interior minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah will most likely be appointed as first deputy premier and defense minister following reports that the post was going to be offered for the first time ever to a personality from outside the family.
Oil, public works and commerce ministers were tipped to be retained in the new Cabinet. The prime minister-designate has already met with representatives of almost all political groups, most of whom rejected offers to take part, preferring to support the new Cabinet from outside as long as it envisages reforms.
Local observers believe that the rejection of political groups to be represented in the Cabinet is because of their fear that the National Assembly will not survive for a ling time. The formation of the new Cabinet is mandatory before the first session of the new parliament scheduled to be held on Wednesday.
The Salaf Islamic Alliance, the Islamic Constitutional Movement, or Muslim Brotherhood, and the Popular Action Bloc which together have at least 13 MPs in addition to the support of around 20 others, have informed the prime minister that they will support the new government as long as it implements reforms.
Members of the Salaf Alliance yesterday denied that the group has changed its earlier decision and accepted to be represented in the Cabinet, according to Salaf MPs Abdullatif Al-Ameeri and Mohammad Al-Kandari. Leading Salaf MP Khaled Al-Sultan even criticized the “way the prime minister was forming his Cabinet”, saying the mechanism is wrong.
More than 20 MPs meanwhile decided at a meeting at Faisal Al-Mislem’s residence that several draft laws on fighting corruption and the independence of the judiciary will be accorded priority.
Mislem said after the meeting the MPs agreed to submit legislation on fighting corruption, wealth disclosure and preventing clashes of interests. The lawmakers also agreed to file a draft law to provide greater independence to the judiciary and another allowing the Audit Bureau to refer directly to the public prosecution all corruption suspicions.
He also said that the MPs agreed to submit a draft law to establish a bank that will oversee the implementation of the development plan. Mislem said that the parliamentary Reform and Development Bloc was due to meet with the prime minister yesterday night over the new Cabinet.
The liberal Democratic Forum and National Democratic Alliance meanwhile strongly criticized Islamist MPs and those of the Popular Action Bloc over plans to amend the second article of the constitution to make sharia law as the only source of legislation.
In a joint statement, the two groups said the plan threatens the existence of Kuwait as a civil state by transforming it into a religious state. The statement criticized the Popular Bloc for approving the plan in order to secure the votes of Islamist MPs for the bloc’s leader MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun who will contest the post of Assembly speaker.
Former MP Mohammad Al-Abduljader, a leading member of the Democratic Forum, distanced himself from the statement and praised Saadoun as a national Kuwaiti figure.
