KUWAIT CITY, Oct 5: The vacancies in a number of ministries have become a source of conflict between the parliamentary and political blocs especially since a majority of these positions have remain vacant for more than a year without officially commissioning a senior official to run these institutions, reports Al-Qabas daily.Political observers believe there are indications the government is ‘satisfied’ of this scenario because in the short-term it is the one that will reap benefits from this situation, especially before the discussion of the grilling expected in the beginning of the next session.The government, according to sources close to the situation, believes that the political and parliamentary courtesy with the government during this period should be invested to the fullest so as to strengthen the relationship with any trend in exchange for not targeting ministers in the next stage.However, in the parliamentary camp the scenario is different. They believe the vacant positions in the government are worth sacrificing, especially since they are the ‘hen’ that lays the golden egg because if they occupy these positions, they will be in a position to appoint their supporters or managers of their election campaigns in vital positions.The most prominent vacancies are those of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Services, Director of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, Secretary-General of the Kuwait University, Director of the Public Authority for Youth and Sports and Director-General of the Zakat House.Meanwhile, the five vacant positions — the President of the Audit Bureau, and Undersecretaries of the ministries of Health, Commerce, Services, and the Secretary-General of the University of Kuwait, are expected to be filled when HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak returns home from the his treatment in France, although nothing prevents the completion of this step as was done in the case of the appointment of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense, reports Al-Anba daily quoting sources.The same sources also pointed out the former Minister of Information Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali, is one of the names that have been nominated to take over the Ministry of Information should the Prime Minister decide to fill vacant ministerial portfolios given the importance of this step in the voting process in the National Assembly.On the other hand, high-level legal sources said ministers who face grilling in the Parliament have the right to defend themselves and present facts in front of the Kuwaiti people. The sources pointed from the political point of view it is not appropriate to keep shuffling ministers or dispensing them in the face of parliamentary grilling.