By B Izzak
KUWAIT: HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Tuesday met former prime ministers as part of customary consultations before appointing a prime minister to form the new Cabinet. HH Sheikh Mishal met HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and caretaker Prime Minister HH Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah. He also spoke over the phone with HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, who is outside the country.
On Sunday, HH the Crown Prince received former Assembly speakers Marzouq Al-Ghanem and Ahmad Al-Saadoun for the same purpose. Under Kuwaiti law, the government should resign immediately after the announcement of results of parliamentary elections. Then, consultations are held with former premiers and ex-speakers before naming a prime minister to form the new Cabinet. The new Cabinet must be ready before the Assembly holds its inaugural session on June 20. The crown prince is expected to name the prime minister on Wednesday or Thursday.
Meanwhile, 47 MPs held their second informal meeting at the National Assembly on Tuesday and unanimously approved what they called a roadmap for reforms. Two more MPs who did not attend the meeting declared their support for the plan. After meeting for three hours, the lawmakers issued a joint statement vowing they will not let down the Kuwaiti people who elected them.
They said the Assembly will approve four urgent legislations in the summer and before the Assembly starts its summer recess. These include approving a law to establish an independent election commission and another to amend the law governing the constitutional court to prevent it from annulling elections. They added they will also approve a law on housing and another to include Kuwaiti housewives in a health insurance law.
The statement said they have agreed to classify legislations they will pass over the four-year term into political legislations and legislations on development and raising the standard of living of citizens. The statement said the lawmakers have unanimously entrusted a three-MP committee to set priority issues over the four years of the Assembly’s term.
Meanwhile, Kuwait signed a $367 million deal with Turkey to purchase Bayraktar TB2 drones, the Center for Government Communications announced on Tuesday. The deal was signed directly between the governments of Kuwait and Turkey without any brokers, the CGC said in a statement. The deal provides technical support for three years, maintenance and logistics requirements, training courses for Kuwaiti staff and more. Kuwait becomes one of 28 countries to sign such a deal to support its defense and military systems, the CGC added.