By B Izzak
KUWAIT: An Amiri decree was issued yesterday accepting the resignation of the defense and interior ministers, a day after they quit in protest against the unfavorable political atmosphere. The decree appointed Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah, who on Wednesday narrowly survived a no-confidence vote, as caretaker defense minister and Minister of Oil, Electricity and Water Mohammad Al-Fares as acting interior minister.
The outgoing ministers of defense and interior - Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah and Sheikh Ahmad Mansour Al-Sabah respectively - resigned on Wednesday, immediately after the foreign minister survived the no-confidence motion. They said in a joint statement that the ongoing political disputes in the country were making reforms almost impossible to achieve. The two outgoing ministers and the foreign minister are the only ruling family members in the Cabinet headed by a leading member of the family. The posts of defense, interior and foreign affairs are normally held by members of the ruling family.
Meanwhile, 11 opposition MPs yesterday called on the government to slap a ban on the entry of members of the India's ruling Bhartiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over atrocities against Muslims in the country. The lawmakers said in a statement that Indian Muslims have been subjected to attacks instigated by members of the BJP, and accordingly Kuwait should ban them from entering the country until the atrocities cease. The call is not binding for the Kuwaiti government, which maintains strong ties with India. Kuwait is home to close to one million Indians who work in the country.
Also, a number of lawmakers yesterday said they have submitted draft legislation to criminalize the imitation of the opposite sex, a day after the constitutional court struck down an article in the penal code that barred such imitation. That article, used for many years against transgender people and those who dress similarly to the opposite sex, was ruled by the top court as against the constitution. Islamist MP Ahmad Al-Azemi urged all MPs to support the new bill to fill the gap created by the court's ruling.