The Kuwaiti government, appointed in August, and the parliament, elected a month earlier, enjoyed about two months of calm before MPs announced new rounds of grillings against government figures. In November, the MPs summoned Prime Minister Shaikh Jabir al-Mubarak Al Sabah, Health Minister Shaikh Muhammad ‘Abd Allah Al Sabah and State Minister for Planning and Development Rola Dashti, but no motions were filed to remove the ministers from office. Several more grillings are expected later this month.
Political gridlock, often motivated by tribal politicking and inter-generational feuding within the ruling Al Sabah family, has burdened Kuwait and held up development of key projects – including many in the oil and gas sector. Additionally, agents of firms that lose during the bid process in the oil and gas sector often hold up projects, by using MPs and journalists to attack winning bids with often specious accusations of corruption or opacity. (CONTINUED - 361 WORDS)
