Kuwait’s Cabinet quits, paving way for government

KUWAIT CITY

Kuwaiti Shiite candidate Ahmad Lari (C) celebrates with supporters following his victory in polls in Kuwait City. AFP photo

Kuwait’s Cabinet has resigned in a procedural move following last week’s parliamentary elections. The move was required to form a new government after elections, but no changes in key posts are expected.

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah accepted the resignation of the Cabinet which quit as part of a routine process after election, the official KUNA news agency reported, Agence France-Presse reported. The ruler also asked outgoing Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah and other ministers to continue as a caretaker government until a new Cabinet is formed. Pro-government lawmakers swept elections that took place on Dec. 1 after a wide-ranging boycott by opposition groups, including conservative Islamists and Western-leaning liberals.

Head of the National Election Commission, Ahmad al-Ajeel, announced yesterday that voter turnout was 39.7 percent. The opposition has said the turnout was only 26.7 percent. The emir will hold consultations with senior officials and former Parliament speakers before he names either Sheikh Jaber, a senior member of the ruling family, or someone else to form a new Cabinet. The new government must be ready before the Parliament holds its inaugural session within the next 14 days, in accordance with the Constitution. The Islamist, nationalist and liberal opposition has declared the election unconstitutional and called for abolishing the new parliament. It plans to stage a demonstration on Dec. 1.