Oct. 6--KUWAIT -- Pressure is mounting on Education Minister Nouriya Al-Sabeeh from various quarters with MP Hassan Jowhar yesterday stopping short of saying he will file a request to grill her. Sabeeh already entered Kuwait's political history by becoming the first woman minister to face and defeat a grilling in the National Assembly earlier this year. But it appears that her opponents in the assembly are coordinating in an effort to force her to quit.

Shiites, Islamists and some tribal MPs appear to be prepared to support an interpellation against Sabeeh and a request to quiz her could be filed even ahead of the opening of the next assembly term on October 21. Jowhar told reporters yesterday that "responsibility makes resorting to the difficult choice of grilling inevitable". He however did not say he has decided to grill her.

The lawmaker, who has sent dozens of questions to the minister, accused Sabeeh of refusing to heed proposals and suggestions and "we cannot remain silent". He said that there are contacts and coordination between MPs to reach a "common vision on how to reform education and deal with violations", adding that education is in real danger and there must be a "national project to rescue education and prevent its slide".

Jowhar also said that education in Kuwait has deteriorated in recent months and that there is no strategy or future vision to lift education and halt its retreat. The minister is also under fire because of differences between her and the undersecretary of the higher education ministry, Rasha Al-Sabah. The differences have surfaced in the past few days.

The government has pumped hundreds of millions of dinars in the past two weeks but the KSE index continued its downward trend because of the gloomy picture in the global financial system.

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