Kuwaiti lawmakers demand oil minister's resignation

KUWAIT, May 26 (Reuters) A group of parliamentarians said today they had formally demanded the resignation of Kuwait's oil minister, intensifying a conflict between parliament and government in the oil-rich Gulf Arab state.

The liberal National Action bloc, which has eight deputies in the 50-seat parliament, said in a statement it had demanded the minister's resignation at a recent meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmed al-Sabah.

Deputies have attacked Oil Minister Sheikh Ali al-Jarrah al-Sabah over his comments that he sought advice on oil issues from his relative and former oil minister Ali al-Khalifa al-Sabah, who was investigated by prosecutors over the alleged embezzlement of 130 million dollar at Kuwait Oil Tanker Co. (KOTC).

A special ministerial court dropped the case on a technicality in 2001.

Kuwaiti newspapers said Sheikh Ali might apologise in parliament on Monday in an attempt to placate deputies who have called on the government to seek compensation from suspects in the KOTC case.

A key member of the 9-strong Popular Bloc, Musallam al-Barrak, said last week Sheikh Ali's stay in office was harmful to the oil sector on which Kuwait depends.

The Gulf Arab state's parliament is locked in a long row with the government that led to the resignation of the last cabinet.

The calls for the resignation of the oil minister come days after Kuwait's ruler, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, told Parliamentary Speaker Jassem al-Kharafi that deputies should focus on legislating.

Political parties are banned in Kuwait. The emir has the last say in politics but usually only intervenes in times of crisis. Kuwait rulers have dissolved parliament several times since it was established in 1963.

The oil minister, a member of the ruling family, said two weeks ago he would accept any decision by parliament in his case.

Replacements of oil ministers usually do not have an impact on Kuwait's energy policy.

REUTERS RN PK KP2103