In the first decision issued by the new Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah ordered, on Thursday, the appointment of Sheikh Mohammed Al-Salem Al-Sabah as Prime Minister of the wealthy Gulf state, in a decision that local newspapers reported received “popular welcome.”
The official news agency KUNA reported on Thursday that an “Amiri order was issued appointing Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah as Prime Minister, and is tasked with nominating members of the new cabinet.”
This comes about two weeks after Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (83 years old) assumed the reins of power, following the death of his half-brother, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, at the age of 86 years.
A newspaper wrote,The plugThe local newspaper, in its Friday issue, featured a headline on its front page in which it said: “Great popular support for Muhammad Al-Sabah.”
The Emir of Kuwait appoints a new prime minister
Kuwait announced, on Thursday, the appointment of Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah as Prime Minister of the Gulf state, in the first decision issued by the new Emir.
Kuwait, located near Iran and Iraq, enjoys an active political life, and its parliament, whose members are elected for a four-year term, has broad legislative powers and often witnesses intense debates.
Kuwait owns 7 percent of the world’s crude oil reserves. It has little debt and manages one of the world’s most powerful sovereign wealth funds.
However, it suffers from constant confrontations between elected representatives and ministers of the government whose prime minister is appointed by the Emir. The Al-Sabah family maintains control over political life, despite the parliamentary system in place since 1962.
The ruling Al-Sabah family controls the levers of power and systematically entrusts its members with the majority of sovereign portfolios. However, representatives do not hesitate to question ministers who are usually close to the Al-Sabah family regarding issues of mismanagement of public funds or corruption.
Disagreements between the executive authority and Parliament recur regularly, causing repeated political crises in Kuwait in recent years, accompanied by repeated resignations of governments and the dissolution of Parliament repeatedly, which has hampered the development process.
Badr Al-Saif, professor of history at Kuwait University, wrote on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter), “The appointment of Muhammad Sabah Al-Salem as prime minister bears significance for the features of the new era, as it is one of the Emir’s first decisions.”
He added, “The news made Kuwaitis happy, because of its status. The task is arduous, and hopes are pinned for a better Kuwait.”
Who is Muhammad Al-Salem Al-Sabah?
Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah was well-known in Kuwaiti politics before his absence for more than a decade, following his resignation in 2011 from his public positions as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, due to his objection to the government’s handling of a corruption case involving a number of members of Parliament, local media reported during that time. the time.
Sheikh Mohammed (68 years old) is the fourth son of the twelfth Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, who held power from 1965 until his death in 1977.
His mother is Sheikha Nouriya Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber, who is the sister of the current Emir of the country, which means that he combines the Al-Jaber and Al-Salem branches (from the mother and father, respectively) and are descendants of Mubarak Al-Kabeer, the seventh ruler of Kuwait during the period between 1896 and 1915.
Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah received his university education in the United States, starting with obtaining a bachelor’s degree in economics from Claremont College in California, and ending with a doctorate in the same field from the prestigious Harvard University.
The new Prime Minister of Kuwait held a number of public positions in the country, including a professor in the Economics Department at Kuwait University.
In 1993, he assumed the position of his country’s ambassador to the United States, and remained in his position for a decade. Then he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2003 and then Deputy Prime Minister in 2006, combining the two positions in successive governments until his resignation in 2011, in the midst of a political crisis.
The departure of the seasoned diplomat from the political scene at the time was considered an objection to the government’s failure to implement actual reforms in the face of suspicions of corruption.
Al-Saif said that Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah “enjoyed wide popularity before the news of his appointment with regard to his record and integrity, and his popularity is expected to increase over the next few months in line with the growing popularity of all new prime ministers at the beginning of their term.”
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2024-01-05 08:16:00
