Opposition Rallies Over in Kuwait
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December 1, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
Rallies and demonstrations have finally ended in Kuwait after the new prime minister was yesterday announced as Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak.
Demonstrators in Kuwait have announced that all rallies in Willpower Square, Kuwait city, will end today. A spokesperson said the decision was made “in respect for the emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who is making crucial decisions”.
The decision has been brought about by the appointment of new Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak, the former minister of defence. The new prime minister is a senior member of the Al-Sabah family who have ruled Kuwait for over 250 years.
Opposition groups have been demonstrating in Kuwait city since February 2011 over allegations of corruption within the Kuwait government. November 28 saw the largest rally known in Kuwait’s recent history as demonstrators demanded that former prime minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, stepped down. Demonstrators also called for the release of 24 opposition activists detained for the storming of parliament on the November 16 2011.
Sheikh Nasser was the first Kuwaiti prime minister forced to leave his position in the history of democratic Kuwait. He had been in power for nearly six years.
The government formed by Prime Minister Shaikh Jaber Al-Mubarak is likely to last less than two months, enough time to oversee the upcoming parliamentary elections that follow the dissolution of parliament.
Despite the end of demonstrations in Willpower Square, the political situation in Kuwait still remains uncertain. In spite of the avoidance of the so-called ‘Arab Spring’, which disrupted the political systems of Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, Kuwait is still unsettled. Many people believe that the vast oil revenue that Kuwait possesses should be converted into economic growth.
By Nicola Stahr
[Image courtesy of xiquinhosilva]
