Two members of Kuwait’s ruling al-Sabah family on Wednesday pledged support for Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah for the position of crown prince ahead of an expected announcement by the country’s new emir on his choice for the role.
Sheikh Meshal, the deputy chief of the National Guard, is seen by diplomats and Kuwait experts as the top contender for the role to help to guide state affairs in the US-allied OPEC member state.
“We pledge allegiance to Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad,” tweeted Faisal al-Hamoud al-Sabah, the governor of the country’s Farwaniya Governorate.
Another family member, Khaled al-Sabah, tweeted “we pledge allegiance to both of you” above pictures of Sheikh Meshal and Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who assumed power last
week.
Senior members of the al-Sabah dynasty had convened earlier on Wednesday to discuss the position of crown prince, a Kuwaiti source said.
Appointing the crown prince
Kuwait’s constitution stipulates that the Heir Apparent shall be appointed within a period not exceeding one year from the date of the Emir’s swearing-in, and his appointment shall follow his nomination by the Emir and the swearing of fealty to him by a majority in the country’s National Assembly.
“Where the appointment does not proceed as indicated above, the Amir shall nominate at least three of the above-mentioned lineage to the heirdom and the Assembly shall swear fealty to one of them as Heir Apparent,” reads article 4 of Kuwait’s Constitution stipulating the rules of succession.
“To qualify, the Heir Apparent must have attained the age of majority, must be endowed with reason and must be a legitimate son of Muslim parents. All of the provisions governing the succession to the Principality shall be set out in a special Ordinance to be promulgated within one year from the coming into force of this Constitution. This special Ordinance shall have force of constitutional law and may not therefore be amended save in the manner prescribed for the amendment of the Constitution itself,” according to article 4 of the constitution.
