Kuwait’s emir reappoints premier to form new cabinet

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s emir reappointed Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah as prime minister on Sunday ater the cabinet resigned last week in a standoff with parliament over its vote to question the premier on issues including his choice of ministers.

Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Sabah, facing his first big political challenge since taking power in September, tasked Sheikh Sabah with nominating a new cabinet for approval, state news agency KUNA said.

The barely one month-old government had been acting in a caretaker role since it resigned over the confrontation with parliament.

The situation has complicated efforts to tackle a severe liquidity crunch in the wealthy OPEC member state caused by low oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic.

Frequent rows and deadlocks between cabinet and the elected assembly have led to successive government reshuffles and dissolutions of parliament over decades, hampering investment and economic and fiscal reform.

The motion earlier this month to question Sheikh Sabah, premier since late 2019, was supported by more than 30 MPS in the 50- seat assembly in which the opposition made gains.

The motion, seen by Reuters, referred to a cabinet that did not reflect last year’s legislative elections and to government “interference” in electing the speaker and members of parliamentary commitees.

Kuwait has the most vibrant political system among Gulf Arab states, with a parliament able to pass, and block, legislation and question ministers.

However, senior government posts are occupied by members of Kuwait’s ruling family, and the emir has final say in state maters.

Meanwhile, Kuwait has registered its first cases of a more contagious coronavirus variant in two Kuwaiti women who had been in Britain, the health ministry spokesman told state news agency KUNA on Tuesday.

They had polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests before departing for Kuwait but PCR tests upon arrival yielded positive results and further checks showed they had the variant B1.1.7, the spokesman said without specifying the point of departure.

Kuwait had on Jan. 6 suspended direct commercial flights to and from Britain until further notice, shortly ater liting a 12-day closure of air, land and sea borders over concerns about the spread of the new variant.

The Gulf Arab state has recorded a total of 158,244 COVID-19 infections and 948 deaths since the coronavirus outbreak.