Domestic politics to test Kuwait's crown prince in push for fiscal reform

Kuwait's newly appointed crown prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah gestures before he is sworn in, at the parliament, in Kuwait City, Kuwait October 8, 2020. REUTERS/Stephanie McGehee

KUWAIT (Reuters) - The biggest task facing Kuwait's octogenarian crown prince after unexpectedly stepping in for the emir this month will be to tackle the perennial political feuding which has long blocked badly needed fiscal reform in the wealthy oil producer.

Previously a low-profile figure who avoided public politics, little was known about Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 81, who was security chief and then deputy of the National Guard before being named crown prince by his half-brother the emir in 2020.