Chronology of govt resignations at backdrop of grilling motions

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah yesterday submitted the resignation of his cabinet to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. His Highness the Amir issued an Amiri Order accepting the resignation, whereby the premier and ministers will proceed amid urgent circumstances as a caretaker cabinet, pending the formation of a new cabinet.

The government resignation came at the backdrop of a non-confidence motion filed by 10 MPs against Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Acting Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah AlMubarak Al-Sabah, at the end of a day-long grilling session. The following is a chronology of resignations submitted by the Kuwaiti cabinet after MPs filed no-confidence motions against the Premier or ministers:

In January 2001, the cabinet of Crown prince and Prime Minister Sheikh Saad AlAbdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah resigned two days after MP Hussein Al-Qallaf requested the interpellation of Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Dr Saad Al-Hashel. In March 2007, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed AlSabah submitted the resignation of his cabinet, a day before a no-confidence session that followed interpellation of Minister of Health Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah. The grilling was submitted by MPs Dr Waleed AlTabatabaie, Jamaan Al-Harbash and Ahmad Al-Shahoumi.

In November 2008, His Highness the Premier Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed AlAhmed Al-Sabah’s cabinet resigned after three MPs filed a grilling motion against the Prime Minister. An Amiri Order was issued on December 14, 2008 accepting the resignation. The government, led by is His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, resigned in March, 2009, two weeks after three grilling motions filed by MPs against the Premier. Two days after the resignation was accepted, an Amiri Decree dissolved the National Assembly, constitutionally.

In March 2011, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed AlAhmed Al-Sabah’s cabinet resigned following grilling motions filed against Minister of Housing and Development Sheikh Ahmad AlFahd, Minister of Oil and Minister of Information Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad AlSabah. In November 2011, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah submitted the resignation of his cabinet, less than two weeks after three MPs filed an interpellation against the Premier. Few days later, an Amiri Order dissolved the National Assembly, constitutionally.