Kuwait 2006-2007 (Part one)

The Bottleneck Period-Facts and Analysis

This is the first part of four posts analyzing political events of the year 2006 in Kuwait and their forecasted affect on the country’s future. These articles handle rather sensitive issues, and therefore I had to pay extra attention to make sure that I’m not breaking the rules and misusing my freedom of speech as a Kuwaiti citizen. And accordingly; I urge my commentators to exert the same effort in their comments and permit me to delete any comment that may cause damage to this blog or it’s much valued readers.

Thank you all in advance for your cooperation
Yours; Killa Matgoog.

With the clock ticking the final hours of Ramadan, the country started a political period of turmoil that stayed dormant since the events of last summer. And before going into detail of that, let me brief you with the most important political events of the year 2006:

January 2006

• The death of his Excellency, the late Amir of Kuwait Shaikh Jaber Alahmad.

• The division within the ruling family and their fierce dispute over the successor to the throne, where the family was divided between supporters of his Excellency; Shaikh Saad Alabdullah led by Shiekh Salem Alali, and the supporters of the current Amir of Kuwait, his Excellency; Shaikh Sabah Alahmad.

• The most prominent figures of the winning party was Shaikh Ahmad Alfahad, Shaikh Mohammad Almubarak, (Shaikh) Jasem Alkhurafi and (Shaikh) Mohammad Sharar.

• The dispute ended by the parliament’s unanimous vote for the current Amir, may God prolong his life.

March 2006

• A decline in Kuwait Stock Exchange index

May 2006

• The beginning of the country’s conflict over the number of electoral constituencies and people’s demand for reducing them to five.

• Division within the government and the parliament over the constituencies to two opposing parties.

• The party that supported five constituencies consisted of twenty-nine MP’s and a vast number of Kuwaiti citizens, and the party which opposed the five constituencies consisted of Shaikh Ahmad Alfahad, Shaikh Mohammad Alabdullah, the unbiased* MP’s in addition to most Kuwaiti newspapers.

• The dissolution of the parliament after a rather fierce dispute. And resuming the election for the new assembly after a couple of months.

June 2006

• The unexpected, tremendous winning of the party that supported the five constituencies.

July 2006

• Unanimous vote for a law enforcing five constituencies as per the majority demand.

August 2006

• Parliament’s preoccupation in minor issues as well as exterior issues such as the war in Lebanon and then the parliament vacation.

October 2006

• MP demand for investigation with the head of the Citizen Services Sector; Shaikh Mohammad Abdullah Almubarak regarding his unsolicited role in tampering the results of parliament elections of 2006.

• The taking over of Al-mal Investment Company that was headed by MP Mohammad Jasem Alsager by Alkhurafi firm.

• The double attack of Alwatan newspaper on Shaikh Jaber Almubarak; the Interior and Defense Minister, as well as, on Kuwait Oil Tanker Company and its lawyer.

After this brief listing of the main political events of the year 2006, I will start discussing the organization of the ruling house within the Alsabah family in part two.

* Not clear what they represent (didn’t know how to translate this properly since most of these members represent government puppets)

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