CABINET CHANGE IN KUWAIT: Amir appoints Nephew as PM; Replacing cousin, resigned after scandal (14-19/11/2019)

Amir Sheikh Sabah IV (pic. right) with PMs Jaber Mubarak
Al-Sabah (left above) & Sabah Khalid Al-Sabah (left bellow)

A government change happened last month in Kuwait following a scandalous background. Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, member of the Ruling dynasty & premier for 8 years, stepped down on November 14 & refused the offer to reshuffle the cabinet. Then (his cousin) the Ruling Emir Sheikh Sabah IV (90), appointed his (namesake) nephew Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid (66) as the new Prime Minister on November 19. Let's see in short how these changes unfolded!

HH Amir Sheikh Sabah IV (right) & CP Sheikh Nawwaf (left)

All began when senior members of the previous government (eighth in the last eight years) became subjects of allegations over mismanagement of public funds for defence & pensions in the past.

Then (early November) elected Parliamentarians sought a no-confidence vote to several appointed officials, forcing their resignation. Several protests followed, in the country with the most free press & democratically elected Parliament among Gulf nations.

After loosing his major ministers in Interior & Finance, and facing himself legal accusations (by Defence Minister) of misleading the situation, Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah (77) submitted his government's resignation to the Ruling Emir.

HH Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (left)
endorses Sabah Khalid Al Sabah (right) as Prime Minister

HH Sheikh Sabah (IV) Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah accepted it, & even dissmissed his son (Sheikh Nasser Al Sabah) from Defence (& Deputy Prime) Minister's post(s). But the 90-year-old Amir also gave his second cousin the chance to reshuffle government again.

However, Sheikh Jaber Mubarak, who had already changed quite a few of governments in the past eight years & denied any wrongdoing from his side; respectfully rejected - via a (Nov. 18) message to the elderly ruler - the offer, prioritizing "to prove his innocence".

HH The Amir (centre) with Crown Prince (left) &
newly appointed Prime Minister (right) - 19.11.2019

Therefore HH Sheikh Sabah (the second oldest reigning monarch in the world, a great supporter of dialogue & himself former Kuwaiti Prime Minister) appointed his (maternal) nephew Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid as the 8th Prime Minister of the state of Kuwait, which the latter accepted. He was sworn in before (his uncles) The Amir & Crown Prince (Sheikh Nawwaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 82) the same day (Tuesday, 19 November 2019) at the Bayan palace.

The new Prime Minister began his political career in 1978, represented Kuwait in a UN mission (1983-9) & has served in several ministerial positions & the Amiri Diwan (the official media organ of Al-Sabah ruling family) before being named minister of foreign affairs & Deputy Prime Minister in 2011.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah (b. 1953), 8th PM of Kuwait

For further information see these links bellow!!

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kuwait-government/kuwaits-foreign-minister-named-new-pm-amid-government-feud-idUSKBN1XS12E
https://www.france24.com/en/20191114-kuwait-pm-cabinet-quit-after-disputes-with-parliament
https://www.euronews.com/2019/11/18/kuwait-pm-declines-reappointment-emir-removes-senior-ministers
https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/kuwait/kuwait-emir-appoints-foreign-minister-as-new-pm-1.67932916
https://news.kuwaittimes.net/website/profile-of-new-pm-sheikh-sabah-al-khaled-al-sabah/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaber_Al-Mubarak_Al-Hamad_Al-Sabah
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabah_Al-Khalid_Al-Sabah
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Kuwait