Monday, April 04, 2011

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwaiti youth activists Saturday began collecting signatures for a petition to the Gulf state ruler against renaming the outgoing prime minister to head a new government, an organizer said.

“It is a campaign to collect signatures on a petition calling against reappointing the same prime minister again,” Mohammad al-Bulaihees, coordinator of the youth group Kafi – “enough” in Arabic – told AFP.
“It will continue for two days after which the petition will be handed to the emir,” said Bulaihees as nine centers were opened across Kuwait to collect signatures.

The prime minister, Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 71, submitted Thursday his Cabinet’s resignation after opposition MPs filed to question three ministers over allegations of graft and poor performance.
The resignation came amid rising sectarian tension between the Sunni majority and Shiite minority over Shiite-led protests in Gulf partner Bahrain. The government said the tension threatened national unity.

Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah accepted the resignation but asked Sheikh Nasser, his nephew, to continue as a caretaker prime minister.
The emir has so far not assigned anyone to form the new government.
“We believe Sheikh Nasser has failed in his six cabinets and reappointing him will only prolong the ongoing political crisis in the country. We need a new prime minister,” Bulaihees said.

Since being appointed in early 2006, Sheikh Nasser has battled the opposition in Parliament almost non-stop, and was forced to resign six times.
Opposition MPs have warned that if Sheikh Nasser is reappointed, they will file to question him in Parliament immediately. – AFP