Kuwait waits for expected abdication

Kuwaitis waited today for the expected abdication of their ailing emir, Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, a move that has been sought for days to resolve the country’s unprecedented leadership crisis.

Parliament postponed to the afternoon its scheduled debate on deposing the emir to give the royal family more time to finalise the abdication.

The prime minister, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, another member of the royal family, was expected to become head of state.

The legislature decided to postpone its debate “until it receives official word of the abdication,” MP Nasser al-Saneh said. But the parliament would convene if it received no word by 12:30pm. local time (0930 GMT) today, he added.

Kuwait has been in a constitutional crisis since January 15 when the long-reigning emir, Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah, died and the crown prince, Sheikh Saad, automatically succeeded. But the new emir has been too frail to take the oath of office, and the Cabinet asked parliament to depose him in favour of the prime minister.

State television and radio made no mention of an imminent abdication, although all newspapers reported it on their front pages.

“Thank God, the voice of reason has won and, with it, the interests of Kuwait and its people,” the pro-government newspaper Al-Anba said of the expected abdication in a front-page editorial.

Nobody appeared to know what was causing the delay today. Kuwait was in unknown territory as never before has it had a ruler who is unable to fulfil his duties, and never before has parliament been asked to decide the succession. A complicating factor was that there is no crown prince as the ailing emir has not designated a successor.

MP al-Saneh and a government official announced last night that the royal family had agreed the emir would step down in favour of the prime minister.

“An agreement has been reached in the family and he will sign the abdication papers tomorrow,” al-Saneh said. At the same time, a government official confirmed the abdication would take place today, saying it would spare the country “a lot of complications.”

Their statements indicated the royal family had resolved its dispute over the leadership. While many members of the family had pushed for Sheikh Sabah to take over, others had objected. Key among them was Sheikh Salem Al Ali Al Sabah, chief of the national guard and the oldest member of the family. His status of family elder added particular weight to his objection.

Parliament had scheduled a swearing-in ceremony for Sheikh Saad this evening. Many Kuwaitis voiced fears Sheikh Saad would be unable to recite the oath of office stipulated by the constitution. Since he succeeded, Sheikh Saad had appeared only in a wheelchair and had not spoken in public.

Al-Saneh said the two camps of the royal family met yesterday evening to reach a compromise before this morning’s session of parliament that was called to debate the Cabinet request to depose the emir.

The Cabinet declared the emir had “lost the ability to perform his constitutional duties”

Sheikh Sabah has been running the day-to-day affairs of the country since the late emir and the then-crown prince, Sheikh Saad, both fell ill.

Sheikh Jaber suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2001, and Sheikh Saad’s health started to deteriorate after he was treated for a bleeding colon in 1997.

Both Sheikh Saad and Sheikh Sabah are in their mid-70s – their exact ages are not known – but Sheikh Sabah is the more fit of the two. He had a heart pacemaker implanted but otherwise is said to be in good health.

The leadership crisis began coming to a head on Friday when scores of ruling family members visited Sheikh Sabah at his residence and asked him to take charge of the country. He accepted the draft, which was widely seen as approval of his becoming emir to replace Sheikh Saad.

Some MPs said yesterday they would boycott the debate on deposing the emir, hoping the ruling family would find a last-minute compromise.

“MPs don’t want to take sides,” Islamist legislator Walid Tabtabai, told reporters.

“I never wanted things to reach the point of removing his highness, the emir,” said a second MP, Hussein al-Qallaf. “It is difficult and it weighs heavily on all legislators. Sheikh Saad is loved by all Kuwaitis.”

The ailing emir is the son of Abdullah Al Salem Al Sabah, who is known as the “father of democracy” and the founder of modern Kuwait.

Kuwaitis, who are used to smooth succession, were also hoping for a last-minute compromise by the ruling family. The country’s press has sided with Sheikh Sabah.

The independent Al-Rai Al-Aam newspaper ran a banner headline today that involved a play on words: “Sabah el-khair ya emir,” or Good Morning Emir. The Arabic word for morning, “sabah,” is also the prime minister’s name.