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Kuwaiti Cabinet Accepts Oil Minister's Resignation
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Al-Sebeih's
last working day
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KUWAIT CITY, Feb. 12 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The Kuwaiti government accepted Oil Minister Adel Al-Sebeih's resignation Sunday over a deadly blast, which raised questions about safety in the vital industry, the minister told news agencies.
"Yes, it has been accepted by Crown Prince Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah. Today is probably my last working day," Sebeih said.
A cabinet statement released after a weekly meeting quoted Sheikh Saad as saying he had accepted Sebeih's resignation and that he "understood and appreciated" the reasons behind it, AFP reported.
The premier praised the "distinguished effort" Sebeih made during his tenure, which lasted just under a year.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah told the official KUNA news agency that the cabinet had "tasked Information Minister Sheikh Ahmad Fahd Al-Sabah to be acting minister of oil pending the issue of a decree to appoint a new minister to the oil portfolio."
Sheikh Sabah also said the resignation was Sebeih's choice, adding: "We're not happy he's not among us but we wish him the best in his professional life."
The job has become a poisoned chalice after a series of disasters. "There's hardly anyone willing to take over as oil minister right now, given the recent series of accidents," said one political source, requesting anonymity.
Sebeih tendered his resignation in the wake of the February 1 blast at the state-owned Kuwait Oil Company's Oil-gathering Center 15 in northern Kuwait that killed four people and disrupted oil production and exports.
Kuwait's oil production fell by 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) following the explosion that rocked the state-owned Kuwait Oil Company's (KOC) Oil-gathering Center 15 after midnight (2100 GMT) Thursday.
It was the third major accident in the oil sector in less than two years, and raised calls from MPs for a major overhaul to the industry upon which Kuwait's economy depends.
Sebeih told AFP last week, "I'm going anyway," whether the resignation was accepted or not. Speaking earlier the minister said that he had a feeling that the resignation would be accepted. "If the atmosphere was more professional ... and people worked together ... I wouldn't resign,” he said.
"In order to meet my objective, I need huge support from the government and parliament ... fixing up the oil industry would need an aggressive policy. If the political atmosphere was different I wouldn't have resigned," the minister stressed, adding, "I have not been pressured."
Since October 1997, Al-Subeih was given several ministerial portofolios including the ministry of health, electricity, Awkaf (endowment) and was the undersecretary of the ministry of education, said Kuwaiti daily newspaper, Al Qabas.
Another daily newspaper, Al Watan, called the ministry of petroleum, a burning coal saying that many ministries have turned down the responsibility.
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