Gulf | Kuwait
Kuwait interior minister survives non-confidence vote
Shaikh Jaber Al Khalid Al Sabah was endorsed by 26 MPs, while 18 called for his resignation and five abstained from expressing their view
- By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
- Published: 12:44 December 17, 2009
- Image Credit: Gulf News
Kuwait’s interior minister has survived a non-confidence vote after more than half of the MPs said that he should keep his post.
Shaikh Jaber Al Khalid Al Sabah was endorsed by 26 MPs, while 18 called for his resignation and five abstained from expressing their view in the parliament’s voting on Thursday morning.
The positive outcome is a second boost for the government in as many days after Prime Minister Shaikh Nasser Al Mohammad impressively breezed past a non-cooperation motion filed by ten disgruntled MPs on suspicion of financial irregularities. Shaikh Nasser had the support of 35 of the MPs, whereas 13 hoped for his resignation and one lawmaker refrained from voting. The parliament speaker does not vote on such matters.
The interior minister was dragged into the non-confidence vote by 10 MPs who on December 8 grilled the minister on the grounds that they sought to “know the truth about billboards used in the 200 elections.”
MPs Khalid Al Tahoos and Faisal Al Mislim claimed that Shaikh Jaber had withheld facts and misled public opinion by giving wrong information about the billboards and the investigation he ordered into alleged financial irregularities.
However, MPs Salwa Al Jassar and Husain Al Qallaf who supported the minister said that the grilling was a personal matter and was not related to any irregularities.
The two MPs who spoke at the parliament session in support of the minister, said that Shaikh Jaber has been vigorously fighting attempts to undermine security and stability in Kuwait and that the grilling over the alleged billboard irregularities had no substance.
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