Speaking to Al-Jarida on the condition of anonymity, sources close to the cabinet indicate that the premier was approached Sunday night by Minster of Information Mohammad Al-Abdullah, Minister of Awqaf and Justice Jamal Al-Shehab, Minister of Communications Salem Al-Othainah, Minister of Commerce Anas Al-Saleh, Minister of Electricity and Water Abdul-Aziz Al-Ibrahim, Minister of Oil Hani Hussain and Minister of Education Nayef Al-Hajraf “who put their resignations at his disposal”.
The ministers reportedly informed the premier that others were supposed to join them in filing their mass resignation “but couldn’t make it due to prior engagements”. Ministers are reportedly frustrated over the deadlock in relations with the parliament given the abundance of grilling motions and confrontations in the form of inquisitions that can affect the process of their work.
Al-Rujaib is the second minister to step down in the five-month-old cabinet after former finance minister Mustafa Al-Shamali resigned following the debate of his grilling last month.
The recent developments add more fuel to the fire regarding speculations of a cabinet reshuffle Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak could be mulling in the near future. On that regard, Al-Qabas mentioned the possibility of resumption of negotiation between the cabinet and the oppositionist coalition that form the majority in the parliament “to offer lawmakers spots in the cabinet”.
This was stated by sources with knowledge of communications ongoing “between the cabinet and members of the Majority Bloc”, who further indicate that the two sides reached preliminary agreement on a formula allowing four or five MPs to assume ministers’ posts “as long as they take part in the decision making process”.
Both sides reportedly commenced talks following Al-Shamali’s resignation “but stopped after the cabinet rejected draft laws” which include a bill setting death penalty as punishment for offending God Almighty and the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
In the meantime, the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity pointed out that some Majority Bloc MPs prefer that the cabinet appoints at least nine people close to the opposition as ministers “so that the loss in number doesn’t affect the influence the Majority Bloc has in the parliament”.
The sources however indicate that prime minister HH Sheikh Jaber already rejected this proposal “prompting other MPs to entertain the idea of nominating six bloc members” to join the cabinet.
Negotiations between Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak and the Majority Bloc broke down before the cabinet’s formation last February when the premier refused to accept the bloc’s request to join with at least nine portfolios.
While a cabinet member can be assigned to the social ministry on interim basis through the summer, many speculate that the prime minister could carry out a reshuffle which could establish more harmonized relationship with the parliament.
The cabinet was formed early February following political turmoil which saw a parliamentary dissolution after the resignation of the former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah’s cabinet late 2011 due to public pressure led by the opposition.
In other news, MP Mohammad Al-Juwaihel commended on Monday “the Interior Minister’s decision to cancel the [Kuwaiti] citizenship of Nayef Al-Mutairi” who reportedly also carries the Saudi nationality in violation of Kuwaiti regulations which ban dual citizenship.
Meanwhile, the controversial lawmaker warned that “similar slow measures still don’t relieve the minister out of his responsibilities”.
Al-Juwaihel who is a member of the unofficial coalition of ‘Minority’ MPs in the parliament has a standing interpellation against minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah over subjects that include alleged irregularities in naturalization.
The lawmaker announced in the meantime information based on the minister’s responses to his earlier inquisitions “which indicate that 78 convicts sentenced to death and 109 to life in prison are fugitives living among us today”.
