In first speech, Kuwait's new emir calls for state accountability

Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah of Kuwait criticized the government and parliament for actions he claimed harmed the country's interests as an ally of the United States.

Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah of Kuwait lambasted the government and parliament on Wednesday for measures he claimed had hurt the nation's standing as an ally of the United States in his first speech as emir since his predecessor's death last week.

Sheikh Meshal, aged 83, criticized the appointment of individuals to positions that did not uphold justice and fairness standards, as well as the pardons granted by his predecessor.

The pardons granted by the new emir remained undisclosed, as his predecessor had granted pardons to a number of people, including opponents, dissidents, and those found guilty of spying for Hezbollah in Iran and Lebanon.

In an address, he defended his loyalty to the previous emir, despite his disagreements with some aspects, and criticized the government and lawmakers for a new emir.

Sheikh Meshal governed day-to-day activities during his half-brother Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah's reign. Sheikh Nawaf, who was 86 years old, passed away on Saturday due to sickness.

As the seventh-largest oil reserve in the world, Kuwait is an OPEC member and an ally of the United States, which it promises to honor in the Gulf and globally.

Bader Al Saif, a Kuwaiti researcher, claims that the emir's speech reflected his will to maintain the status quo in foreign policy as well as his attempts to combat corruption in the public sector.