Change of power in Kuwait after the death of the Emir
The late Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah was sworn in as ruler of the oil-rich Gulf state in September 2020 following the death of his half-brother. The announcement of his death was made with "great sadness and grief", the palace said. State television interrupted its regular program shortly before the news of his death was announced and broadcast recited verses from the Koran.
According to the state news agency Kuna, Sheikh Nawaf, who was born in 1937, had already been admitted to hospital in November due to an "emergency". His funeral is due to take place on Sunday. A 40-day period of national mourning has been declared in the country, with state institutions remaining closed for three days.
Sheikh Nawaf was appointed crown prince in 2016 by his then-ruling half-brother Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. After taking office in September 2020, he led the country through an economic crisis caused by the crash in the price of oil.
His successor, Sheikh Mishal, is also a half-brother of the now deceased sheikh. The father of twelve sons was already Minister of the Interior and Deputy Supreme Commander of the National Guard from 2004 to 2020. He will now be the 17th ruler of Kuwait, which gained independence from Great Britain in 1961. The new emir also has the duty to appoint a crown prince within a year. It is questionable whether he will bring a member of a younger generation to power.
In Kuwait, a state with a population of 4.5 million, power is largely in the hands of the ruling al-Sabah family. In 1962, however, the country was the first Arab Gulf state to introduce a parliamentary system, and popular representation is more powerful in the country than in any other Gulf state. Kuwaiti women have had the right to vote and stand for election since 2005.
According to the Kuwaiti constitution, only a descendant of state founder Mubarak al-Sabah can become ruler. The members of two lineages named Salem and Jaber actually alternate in power. However, Sheikh Sabah, who died in 2020, interrupted this custom with the appointment of Nawaf - who, like himself, came from the Jaber line - and effectively excluded the Salem line from the succession to the throne.
Sheikh Nawaf's reign was recently characterized by political disputes between elected members of parliament and ministers appointed by the palace: the seventh government cabinet in three years was formed at the beginning of April.
Kuwait, which is small in terms of area, has around seven percent of the world's oil reserves, which has brought the emirate great wealth in recent decades. However, unlike neighboring Gulf states such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, political instability in Kuwait has considerably slowed down reforms in the country and major construction projects. Kuwaitis regularly complain about the deterioration of infrastructure and state services in the country, and there are also considerable shortcomings in the education system.
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Source: www.stern.de
