Kuwait City: Kuwait's Prime Minister
Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah on Wednesday comfortably
survived an opposition bid to unseat him over allegations of
corruption, parliament's speaker said.
Thirty-five MPs voted against a non-cooperation motion
brought against the prime minister, which was filed last week
following a marathon grilling.
Thirteen voted for the unprecedented motion and one
abstained, speaker Jassem al-Khorafi said.
The prime minister was questioned on allegations he
issued a USD 700,000 cheque to a former MP and that his office
misappropriated millions of dollars of public funds.
The motion required at least 25 votes of the 49
elected MPs to pass. Cabinet ministers are banned from voting
on such motions.
Had it been passed, the motion would have been sent
to the emir who would have either dismissed the prime minister
or dissolved parliament and called for fresh elections.
It was the first questioning in parliament of a
Kuwaiti head of government since parliamentary democracy was
introduced to the oil-rich Gulf state in 1962.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 18:56