By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Kuwait yesterday appeared headed into yet another political crisis after two senior Cabinet members submitted their resignation immediately after a third minister narrowly survived a no-confidence vote following a grilling by an opposition lawmaker. Defense Minister Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Mansour Al-Sabah said in a joint statement that reforms are impossible to achieve under the prevailing political circumstances. They said that the country is passing through a highly-charged atmosphere between the National Assembly and the government.

Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem meanwhile prevented leading opposition MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri from showing what he described as "indecent" footage about alleged immoral acts at Kuwaiti missions overseas. Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah narrowly survived a no-confidence vote over alleged violations, with 21 MPs backing the motion and 23 opposing it. To pass, the motion needed 24 elected members to support it. Cabinet ministers are not allowed to vote on no-confidence motions.

The vote came after two MPs defended the minister and two others justified the grilling and the vote. Sheikh Ahmad, the son of former prime minister and senior ruling family member HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, was charged by Muwaizri of squandering public funds, corruption and failure to perform his duties. The minister categorically denied the charges.

Speaking in defense of the minister, pro-government MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji said he found no evidence for any of the accusations. MP Hisham Al-Saleh insisted that the grilling was unconstitutional and that most of the alleged violations were not proven by the grilling MP.

Before the vote, the Assembly held part of the session behind closed doors at the request of Muwaizri, who wanted to show classified material. But the speaker said he could not allow such indecent footage to be shown, adding that he was backed by a majority of lawmakers. Muwaizri however charged that Ghanem violated the constitution by preventing him from showing material linked to the grilling.

The foreign minister however received key support from a number of opposition lawmakers like Osama Al-Munawer, Bader Al-Humaidi, Saud Al-Mutairi and others. If these three had also voted against the minister, the no-confidence motion would have passed. In recent weeks, the opposition, which enjoyed the support of 31 MPs, saw some defections and three of its members were appointed as members of the Cabinet, thus reducing its strength to a minority.