Global Arab Network | Kuwaiti MPs walk out in protest against new cabinet

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Kuwaiti MPs walk out in protest against new cabinet

Almost a fifth of Kuwait's newly elected members of parliament walked out of Sunday's first session to protest against the new cabinet line-up, a sign that tensions that had almost paralyzed lawmaking were still alive.

Nine members staged a walkout on Sunday after Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the emir, urged parliament to co-operate with the cabinet. Five others boycotted the session.

"At this delicate stage ... there is no time for anything but ... hard work, where it will not be helpful or possible to allow more setbacks and everyone continuing to feel worried and frustrated," Sheikh Sabah told parliament before the walkout.

"I will be in close attendance and observe the performance of both parliament and cabinet, following up on the work of each."

Some of the MPs who walked out also protested against the failure by two of their four female colleagues to cover their heads as required by Islamic rules.

The four women made history when they were elected to Kuwait's parliament for the first in a recent elections.

In the cabinet announced on Friday, six new ministers were named.

Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, a nephew of Sheikh Sabah, was appointed prime minister. This is the sixth cabinet he has headed since 2006.

Another nephew of the emir, Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad Al-Sabah, was reappointed oil minister and got three more portfolios - deputy prime minister for economic affairs, minister of state for development affairs and minister of state for housing affairs.

Although Sunni Islamists, who had long dominated the assembly, lost about half their seats to Shias and liberals, analysts say the changes are not enough to end a long-running standoff with the government.

Continuing tensions could hamper vital legislation, including a $5bn economic stimulus package.

It had faced resistance in the old parliament and was adopted by the government after the legislature was dissolved.

The tensions also threaten plans to diversify Kuwait's economy which relies heavily on oil, and could leave the world's fourth-largest oil exporter exposed to price fluctuations.

The main task of the new cabinet will be to restore investors' confidence after Kuwait canceled a $17 billion joint venture with Dow Chemical and tenders to build a $15 billion refinery following opposition from parliament.

Amir called for a "new political address,"

The Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah called for adopting a "new political address," saying that there is no time for anything but working to adopt a new national action vision based on foreseeing the future, looking to globalization and keenness for modernity. This, he said, will elevate Kuwait's status to that of modern states.

Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said his government extends its hands of cooperation with MPs to forget the tension of the past and forge ahead with plans to move the country forward. He explained that the government will focus on four main files, topped by cooperation with the Assembly and development plans to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Kuwait.

During his speech, the Amir said that at this critical time "there is not much time for talk, and what has been discussed in the past is sufficient and clear, and thus there is no need for repetition and reiteration". He said that it was no longer possible to leave the people of the country concerned and frustrated at the political tension.

The Amir stressed on maintaining Kuwait's safety and security, safeguarding national unity, respecting the law, working with dedication, and developing the economy. "To fulfill all these goals, we must cooperate and perform well." The Amir said that what is needed now is a "will for change," in order to deal with accumulated issues. He said that there were four issues that were the source of the "imbalances and crises" that Kuwait is witnessing: "Protecting national unity against division and strife, implementing the law and moving on from slogans to serious action that embodies justice, equality and the rule of law, developing relations between the legislative and executive authorities and correcting the track of media in different institutions and tools.

He also said that steps and measures were necessary to guarantee the implementation of the four aforementioned issues, and to find suitable solutions for each with a specific timeframe that the government would commit to, and one that the Kuwaiti leader said he would follow up personally. On democracy, the Amir said that it was a "tool that further instills the essence of nationalism and belonging to that nation," adding that it promoted national interests, boosted national unity, and brought people together. Democracy "brings people together and does not divide them, it builds and does not destroy, it emphasizes commitment and denounces chaos, and calls for tolerance and moderation while rejecting extremism," he added. (Reuters, Xinhua, AFP, Kuwait Press)

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