The Kuwaiti ruling family remained at odds Thursday over succession issues following the emir's death, leaving the oil-rich Gulf state in a political impasse. Top members of the Al-Sabah family held lengthy meetings Tuesday and Wednesday on issues such as the appointment of a new crown prince and a prime minister, but failed to reach decisions, sources close to the family told AFP. They also discussed further arrangements to strike a balance between various wings of the family, especially the Al Salem and Al Jaber lines which have been alternating the position of head of state for the past 85 years. The family has not set a date for further meetings and were not expected to meet on Thursday or Friday, the Muslim weekend, the sources said. Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, 75, who is from the Al Salem branch, was named as the new emir on Sunday, but questions have been raised about his health and his ability to read out the constitutional oath before parliament.
The prime minister and strongman, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, 76, who has been running the day-to-day affairs of the emirate for several years, is the strong favourite to become crown prince. He is from the Al-Jaber line. According to the sources, there was almost total unanimity on Sheikh Sabah for the position of crown prince, but differences remained on whether he should also hold the premiership. The two posts were split in 2003.
UPDATE: KUWAIT CITY - Kuwaitâs ruling Al Sabah family has overwhelmingly backed Prime Minister Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah to become emir to replace the emirateâs new ailing ruler, a top family source told AFP on Friday. âThe overwhelming majority of the family came this morning to the house of Shaikh Sabah and expressed complete trust in him to become new emir in light of the health condition of the current emir,â the source said on condition of anonymity. âShaikh Sabah accepted their requestâ during the meeting attended by nearly all senior members of the ruling family, said the source.
Shaikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, 75, who was named emir on Sunday following the death of Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has been experiencing poor health since undergoing colon surgery in 1997.
| Maybe it's just me, but this looks a lot like jockeying for position in a posh old folks' home. |