government lawmakers grilled Kuwait's prime minister Tuesday over accusations he used strong-arm tactics against critics, an opening salvo before a vote next week that could force his resignation and send the country into a political crisis. After hours of closed-door questioning, the parliament Speaker set a confidence vote for Jan. 5 on the fate of Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al- Mohammed Al-Sabah, who is a nephew of Kuwait's ruler. The political revolt against Sheikh Nasser could threaten the stability of the government in one of OPEC's main oil producers and an important transit point for US military forces leaving Iraq. The rare parliament questioning was demanded after security forces clashed with opposition lawmakers and their supporters at a Dec. 8 rally. Kuwaiti officials say the crowd taunted police and did not have a permit for a rally. Details of the secret questioning were not immediately known. It's also unclear whether the opposition can muster a majority in the 50-seat chamber to pass the “non-cooperation” motion – essentially a declaration that they can no longer work with the premier. It would then fall to Kuwait's ruler, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, to decide whether to dump his nephew as prime minister and reorganize the Cabinet or take the more drastic step of dissolving parliament and calling for elections. The prime minister, who took office in 2006, survived a confidence vote a year ago after allegations of misuse of public funds. Opposition groups have not eased their pressure on the government, which they accuse of trying to roll back political freedoms and clamp down on dissent. Some opposition parliament members pushed for the questioning to be open, but government supporters gathered enough votes to forced a closed session.
