Kuwait’s new parliament will hold its first session on December 16, two weeks after the elections were held despite calls by the opposition to boycott them.
Source:
Gulf News
Publication date:
Dec 04 2012
Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah has launched consultations with former parliament speakers and former premier Shaikh Nasser Al Mohammad on the name of the prime minister amid speculations that Shaikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Sabah would be asked to remain at the position he has held since late last year.
Shaikh Jaber was on Monday asked to run the urgent affairs of the government after the Emir accepted its resignation.
Reports have emerged that more than one woman will be appointed in the new cabinet, giving a new boost to the official representation of women in the country.
Three women were on Saturday elected to the parliament, and although the score did not match the 2009 feat of four women, it was much better than in the February polls when no woman won a seat.
Kuwaiti’s will nevertheless be focused on the male ministers amid concerns that some names associated with political crises could be re-appointed.
The opposition, disappointed that the turnout at 39.7 per cent was much higher than the less than 20 per cent they had anticipated, said that it would hold regular rallies and demonstrations to bring down the parliament, arguing that it was not a true representative of the nation.
A group of MPs said that they have held a meeting and agreed that their priorities during the six months of their term would be housing, health, education, employment, security and traffic.
“We pledge that you will witness concrete results in the next six months,” MP Nasser Al Merri said. “We will not start from scratch, but we will build on the accomplishments of our predecessors. We have just come out of the elections and we want to assume our responsibilities for the sake of the nation and through cooperation with all the lawmakers,” he said.
The new parliament will seek full political stability in the country, he said.
“We will endeavour to distance the parliament from sectarian and ethnic tension. We will also make sure that the communication standards and levels between the lawmakers and with the executive branch will be respectfully high,” Al Merri said.
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/kuwait/kuwait-s-parliament-to-convene-on-d...
