Kuwait Reshuffling Its Cabinet

KUWAIT CITY —  Kuwait’s newly restored government has resigned after growing public anger at the failure to restore electricity, water and other basic services.

Planning Minister Suleiman al Mutawa told reporters today that Crown Prince Saad al Abdullah al Sabah, the prime minister and martial law administrator, dissolved the Cabinet late Tuesday because of the “criticism of us.”

“I think it was quite apparent that all the people talked about the lack of services,” Mutawa said. “They said to us, ‘What have you been doing for the last seven months?’ ”

Mutawa said it was not clear when a new government would be formed, or whether it would include opposition members who have been most vocal in calls for a swifter move to parliamentary democracy. Resignation of the government was one of the opposition demands.

Four of the ministers most criticized by the public are members of the ruling al Sabah family, including ministers of defense, interior, foreign affairs, and water and electricity.

The army has been blamed for its inability to stop illegal detention, beatings and torture of Palestinians and north Africans suspected of collaboration with the Iraqi occupation army.

And the minister of electricity and water announced last weekend that electricity would not be restored for another three weeks.