Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Update on the Coup in Process

Here is a small update on the coup in process taking place against the Emir of Kuwait.

Parliament speaker Jasem al-Kharafi, who is siding with PM Sabah al-Sabah, refused a request by Emir Saad to perform his swearing-in oath Monday evening. Which means that Sheikh Saad is not incapable of performing the oath, as the coup plotters claim. It means they are preventing him from performing it.

Earlier today I watched a young spokesman for the coup people talk to Al Arabiya. The anchor asked him if they had the two-thirds of paliament necessary to vote against the health of the new Emir, and he answered affirmatively. The explanation he gave however was comic. He said that two-thirds majority does not mean that of the entire parliament, but the two thirds majority of parliamentarians who are found in parliament! He also said that ministers of government are also entitled to vote as parliamentarians, since they themselves are representatives of the people:-) He said it was only a matter of hours that either Sheikh Saad abdicates, or he will be "voted out" by his people.

Well it's just another illegitimate coup in the Arab world, right?

1 comment:

bent abdelwahab said...

I honestly do not think it has to do with color. Both Sheikh Jaber and Sheikh Saad were sick and were not ruling for the past several years. Sheikh Sabah was the actual ruler. If he so wished, maybe Sheikh Saad would be the Amir, and he would be the crown prince and continue to be the actual ruler. I believe this would be more honorable for Sheikh Saad. Maybe he was willing to help his brother(keep sick Sheikh Jaber as Emir, and literally do his job for him) but not a distant cousin. Or maybe that case scenario would not have been acceptable to Al Salem branch of the family, so it could not be possible.There are many factors that have to do with the relationships between members of the Al Sabah family that as an expatriate I am not aware of. However, one thing I am sure of is that it has nothing to do with skin color.
It was a clean coup, as Sheikh Sabah, a shrewd politician , used the constitution and the members of the parliament to get what he wanted. Legally and logically no one can blame him or them.
True democracy, in my opinion, would have been to oust the sick Amir against the wishes of the de facto ruler, which is obviously not what happened in this case.