Former Kuwaiti Defense Minister to Assume PM Position

After the resignation of Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammad Al-Sabah, it has been reported that outgoing Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah is likely to assume the position. There was speculation that the former PM would return and form a new cabinet, but National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi said, “I don’t think Sheikh Nasser will return because he is insisting on his resignation.”  Al Jazeera and Kuwaiti newspapers have also stated that the former defense minister will likely be pegged as the new PM.

Additionally, while opposition members have insisted they do not seek regime change, some youth opposition parties are calling for more drastic reforms, including a constitutional monarchy, a premier from outside the ruling family, and a reformed electoral system. ”We want to fight corruption and expand democratic freedoms… (Arab) countries around us are making democratic gains and we want to expand our democracy,” youth activist Nassar al-Khaledi told AFP.

Meanwhile, Kuwait has reportedly taken steps to encourage its citizens currently residing in Syria to return home considering the unstable security situation there, Al-Rai reported. The Arab Times wrote, “Despite previous reports quoting Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid as saying that Kuwait has no intention to take this measure, sources revealed the State will ensure the safe return of its citizens from Syria, following in the footsteps of other Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.”