Emir urges end to political spat

The Kuwaiti parliament: row with cabinet has paralysed decision-making for most of the year (Getty Images).

Kuwait's ruler called on the prime minister and parliament speaker on Sunday to end a row threatening to rekindle a standoff that has virtually paralysed decision-making in the Gulf Arab state for much of the year.

The two officials played down their differences but stopped short of publicly ending the spat, which came as newspapers reported the OPEC-member's new oil minister may resign because of opposition among some deputies in parliament.

Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah met Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah and parliament Speaker Jassem al-Kharafi on Sunday and "stressed the importance of cooperation between the speaker and the premier", Sheikh Nasser said.

"The directives ... of his highness the emir will be a beacon for cooperation between the legislative and executive bodies in the interest of the country," Sheikh Nasser told state news agency Kuna.

The meeting came after the row in which the prime minister criticised comments from the speaker late on Saturday, saying he had tried to meddle in government affairs by naming people he thought should become ministers.

Both Kharafi and Sheikh Nasser played down the spat and said they would act for the good of the country, which sits on about 10% of global oil reserves.

"We reaffirm that there is no disagreement over the interests of Kuwait," Sheikh Nasser said.

Kharafi, a former government minister, added to reporters: "The differences in points of view do not mean that we are having a dispute. Difference in views was for the good of Kuwait, democracy and openness."

The standoff between the cabinet and parliament, has delayed reforms such as cutting tax on foreign firms and a long-planned project to boost oil output with help from international firms.

Also on Sunday, newspapers said the OPEC-member's new oil minister, Bader al-Humaidhi, had met with Sheikh Nasser to discuss his possible resignation.

Humaidhi took the oil portfolio in a cabinet reshuffle a week ago, but deputies who disagreed with his policies in his previous job as finance minister - an Islamist MP asked to question Humaidhi after media reported he had made financial and administrative mistakes - opposed his appointment.

Changing the oil minister usually has no effect on Kuwait's energy policy, which is set by a council that includes oil industry and other government officials.

Sheikh Sabah, who has the last say in politics, has often asked deputies and the government to work together.

Analysts say the emir was on the brink of dissolving parliament earlier this year because of the political deadlock.

The oil portfolio had been vacant since June when Sheikh Ali al-Jarrah al-Sabah quit to avert a non-confidence vote by MPs.

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