Kuwait rulers in succession wrangle after death of emir

KUWAIT CITY (AFP) — The Kuwaiti ruling family remained at odds Thursday over succession issues following the emir's death, leaving the oil-rich Gulf state in a political impasse.

Top members of the Al-Sabah family held lengthy meetings Tuesday and Wednesday on issues such as the appointment of a new crown prince and a prime minister, but failed to reach decisions, sources close to the family told AFP.

They also discussed further arrangements to strike a balance between various wings of the family, especially the Al Salem and Al Jaber lines which have been alternating the position of head of state for the past 85 years.

The family has not set a date for further meetings and were not expected to meet on Thursday or Friday, the Muslim weekend, the sources said. Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, 75, who is from the Al Salem branch, was named as the new emir on Sunday, but questions have been raised about his health and his ability to read out the constitutional oath before parliament.

The prime minister and strongman, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, 76, who has been running the day-to-day affairs of the emirate for several years, is the strong favourite to become crown prince. He is from the Al-Jaber line.

According to the sources, there was almost total unanimity on Sheikh Sabah for the position of crown prince, but differences remained on whether he should also hold the premiership. The two posts were split in 2003.

The main Sunni Islamic group, the Islamic Constitutional Movement, or Muslim Brotherhood, called in a statement Thursday for keeping the two posts separate, saying it had been a popular move.

A Western diplomat in Kuwait told AFP the differences within the family did not appear to have reached a crisis point and that there was plenty of room for a solution.

During talks late Wednesday, the family even discussed a proposal to appoint Sheikh Sabah new emir in place of Sheikh Saad provided a crown prince was named from the other branch, but the idea was not accepted, the sources said.

They have also discussed various scenarios to allow the new emir, whose health deteriorated since undergoing colon surgery in 1997, to be sworn in by parliament in order to assume his responsibilities. Sheikh Saad has repeatedly travelled abroad for medical treatment and rarely appears in public. He attended the late emir's funeral and the family condolences for a few minutes only in a wheelchair.

A number of MPs suggested during an informal parliament meeting Monday that a shorter version of the oath be used, but others insisted that the constitution must be strictly adhered to and the oath read out in full.

On Wednesday, prominent MP Ahmad Saadun, a three-time former speaker, lashed out at those who are insisting that the emir must read the oath in full, charging they were trying to oust him. Islamist columnist Faisal Zamel appealed to Sheikh Saad on Thursday to retire in light of his health condition.

Kuwait's ruling family fine-tunes succession

Wed Jan 18, 1:22 PM ET

KUWAIT CITY (AFP) - The ruling Al-Sabah family discussed power transfer in Kuwait after the death of the oil-rich state's emir, as a prominent MP decried attempts to "depose" the ailing new ruler.

Talks focused mainly on the ability of new Emir Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah to take the oath and on the naming of a crown prince, who is widely expected to be powerful Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, sources close to the family told AFP.

Top Al-Sabah members discussed possible solutions to allow the new emir, whose health deteriorated since undergoing colon surgery in 1997, to be sworn in by parliament in order to assume his responsibilities.

Sheikh Saad has repeatedly travelled abroad for medical treatment and rarely appears in public. He attended the late emir's funeral and the family condolences for a few minutes only in a wheelchair.

The issue has plunged the emirate into constitutional controversy because of concerns that Sheikh Saad may not be able to read the two-line oath in full.

On Wednesday, prominent MP Ahmad al-Saadun lashed out at those who are insisting that the emir must read the oath in full, charging that they were trying to oust him.

"Their goal is not safeguarding constitutional procedures. Their real intention is to depose the emir. We will not, God willing, allow them to achieve this goal," Saadun, a three-time former parliament speaker, told AFP.

"They are trying to utilize the controversy on the oath to depose Sheikh Saad. We must not allow them to succeed in ousting the emir of Kuwait for their own vested interests," he said.

Saadun, who has been a lawmaker since 1971, said the constitutional procedures of the oath-taking should be simplified.

He urged the ruling family to show unity and not "to allow anyone to create a problem out of the power transfer issue."

Parliament speaker Jassem al-Khorafi called in statements to reporters for wisdom in tackling the controversy, saying he will do whatever necessary to "guarantee the country's stability and uphold the constitution."

The Al-Sabah family meetings started late Tuesday at the end of the three-day condolence period following the death on Sunday of Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who had ruled Kuwait for 28 years.

The family held a broader meeting Wednesday, and sources close to the Al-Sabah dynasty told AFP that more consultations would be held in the coming days.

At stake was also the selection of a new crown prince after Sheikh Saad, who had held the title since 1978, automatically became emir.

Sheikh Sabah, 76, the shrewd politician who has been running the day-to-day affairs of the oil-rich Gulf emirate for several years, is the most likely candidate for the position.

Under the constitution, the new emir has the sole authority to name a crown prince, but in practice the selection is made by the ruling family. The crown prince must also be approved by parliament.

The family was discussing succession arrangements to ensure a balance between its various wings, especially the Al-Jaber and Al-Salem lines that have been alternating the head of state position for 85 years.

They will also discuss whether the posts of crown prince and prime minister, split for the first time in 2003, should remain separate or be re-merged.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060118/wl_mideast_afp/kuwaitpolitics_060118182203

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