KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receive HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and the new Cabinet members at Bayan Palace yesterday. - KUNA

By B Izzak and Agencies

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah called on the government and parliament yesterday to have "constructive cooperation" to address pressing issues, protect public funds and promote rule of law in line with the constitution. "I call upon the legislative and executive authorities for constructive cooperation, armed by our social fabric and national unity, to achieve national goals, address pressing issues and protect public funds, in line with the constitution, and the decisive and transparent application of law on all," HH the Amir said in a speech after Cabinet members took oath before him.

HH the Amir told the new ministers they have "great responsibilities in this important time, and I am confident you are, Allah willing, capable of confronting them". He urged them to work "collectively with the one team spirit to push forward the national action towards reforms and development" in order to achieve aspirations of the Kuwaiti people at all levels.

HH the Amir thanked HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah for his "great efforts" and urged the ministers to "redouble efforts" and show dedication in their national duties in order to create opportunities and alleviate the burdens of citizens. The Amir also thanked former ministers for their service. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said the constitution and law will be the foundation of cooperation with the parliament with the objective reaching common goals between the two authorities.

In its first official meeting yesterday, the Cabinet said it was alarmed by the sharp increase in the number of the coronavirus cases and called on the people to comply strictly with health measures. It urged certain sections of the population to get vaccinated to help safeguard the country against the pandemic.

The new Cabinet will take the oath at the National Assembly in the first regular session on March 18 when a one-month suspension ordered by HH the Amir on Assembly meetings will expire. Lawmakers have made few comments on the new Cabinet. MP Bader Al-Humaidi said the lineup is far from the "salvation" government the country needed urgently to resolve its political crises. He criticized the merger of ministries that are not related under one portfolio. MP Abdulkarim Al-Kandari said the establishment of a ministry for integrity is good, but not enough to combat corruption, as fighting corruption requires practical measures.

Meanwhile, the constitutional court yesterday postponed its verdict on the membership of leading opposition MP Bader Al-Dahoum and rejected a petition against the election of the Assembly speaker. The court, whose rulings are final, was scheduled to rule if it was competent to handle three petitions claiming the election of Dahoum to the Assembly was illegal and should be nullified. It delayed the verdict until March 14.

Dahoum was disqualified by an interior ministry commission to run in the Dec 5 election, but the court of appeals and the court of cassation overturned the ruling and allowed him to contest the polls. The constitutional court also rejected a petition claiming that the election of Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem was marred with irregularities and should be scrapped. The court said it is allowed by law to look into disputes over Assembly elections and not competent to look into disputes over the Assembly speaker's election, and accordingly rejected the petition.