KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah assigned yesterday His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to form a government, the first under His Highness the Amir and the 37th in Kuwait's history.

This will be His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled's second cabinet following the one he formed on December 17, 2019 until he tendered the cabinet's resignation on December 6, a day after parliamentary elections. In addition to His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, seven other officials served as prime ministers of Kuwait since 1962.

Article 56 of the constitution states that His Highness the Amir shall, after the traditional consultations, appoint the Prime Minister or relieve him of office. The Amir shall also appoint ministers and relieve them of office upon the recommendation of the prime ministers. It says ministers shall be appointed from amongst the National Assembly members and from others, and that the number of ministers in all shall not exceed one-third of the MPs.

Transitional cabinet
The first government was called the transitional cabinet. It was formed on January 17, 1962, and chaired by the late Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, consisting of 14 ministers. It had a specific mandate; writing a constitution, and therefore it ended with the end of its task on January 27, 1963. The second government, formed on January 28, 1963, was chaired by Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah and consisted of 15 ministers including the late Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who was named Foreign Minister for the first time in post-independence Kuwait.

The third government was formed on December 6 1964, chaired by Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem, consisting of 14 ministers, four of them were MPs. This government survived for 28 days only because it failed to win confidence of the National Assembly due to constitutional measures regarding the selection of some ministers. Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem chaired the fourth government that was formed on January 3, 1965 and included 13 ministers.

The fifth government was formed on December 4, 1965, and was chaired by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. This government consisted of 13 ministers including three MPs. The late Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad was given the portfolios of finance, oil and foreign affairs. This government resigned at the end of the legislative term; on February 3, 1967. The sixth cabinet was formed on February 4, 1967, also chaired by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

It consisted of 14 ministers including three MPs, and served for four years until February 1971, at end of the parliamentary legislative term. The seventh government, which also served a full four-year term, was formed on February 2, 1971. Chaired by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, this cabinet includes 13 ministers. Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad formed the following cabinet, the eighth, on February 9, 1975, included of 15 ministers. It served for only 19 months and ended a month after the dissolution of the parliament in August 1976.

The ninth government, formed while the parliament was dissolved on September 6, 1976, was chaired by Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and consisted of 18 ministers. This government ended in December 1978 after the passing of then Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, then Crown Prince and Prime Minister, was named as Amir. The 10th government was formed on February 16, 1978. Then Crown Prince Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah chaired the cabinet.

The cabinet consisted of 18 ministers and served until March 3, 1981 when new elections were announced. The 11th government was formed on March 4 1981 and chaired by Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, consisting of 15 ministers including one MP. The cabinet served a full four-year term up until March 2 1982, ahead of parliamentary elections.

The 12th government was formed on March 1985 and chaired by Sheikh Saad. The cabinet served for 16 months only due to deterioration of relations between executive and legislative authorities, which forced the parliament's dissolution in 1986, triggering the government's resignation on July 11 of the same year. The 13th government was formed in the following day and consisted of 21 ministers. Sheikh Saad formed the 14th government with 22 ministers on June 20, 1990. This government continued in office despite the August 2, 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, and was functioning from the Saudi City of Taef until the liberation in February 1991.

The 15th government, the first after liberation, was dubbed the 'government of reconstruction.' It was formed on April 20 of 1991 and consisted of 20 ministers. The government lasted until October 16, 1992, when new parliamentary elections were held. The 16th government, formed on October 17, 1992, was chaired by Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah and consisted of 15 ministers including six MPs.

The 17th government was formed on October 15, 1992. Chaired by Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah, the government consisted of 14 ministers including four MPs. The government resigned on March 21, 1998 after a no-confidence motion was tabled against then information minister Sheikh Saud Nasser Al-Sabah. The following government, the 18th, was formed by Sheikh Saad on March 22, 1998. It served for 15 months and resigned on July 12, 1999, in the wake of an Amiri decree to dissolve the parliament.

The 19th cabinet, formed on July 13 of 1999, was chaired by Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah. The government resigned on January 2001 after relations with the parliament deteriorated when former MP Hussein Al-Qallaf requested the interpellation of Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Dr Saad Al-Hashel. However, the cabinet was formed by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah because Sheikh Saad had to leave the country for treatment. Sheikh Sabah selected 15 ministers including three MPs.

Separation of posts
The 21st government was formed on July 14, 2003, by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad because the post of Crown Prince was separated from the post of Prime Minister for the first time. This government served until February 8, 2006, in the wake of the passing of the Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The 22nd government was formed by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on February 9, 2006.

This government, which consisted of 15 ministers, lasted for five months only due to parliament's dissolution that was caused by an interpellation against the Prime Minister over the electoral districts. His Highness Sheikh Nasser, following the parliamentary elections, formed the 23rd government on July 10, 2006.

Minister of Health Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Sabah was grilled and a no confidence motion was tabled against him thus triggering the government's resignation on March 4, 2007. The 24th government was formed by His Highness Sheikh Nasser on March 25, 2007, and resigned on May 19, 2008, in the wake of the dissolution of the National Assembly.

His Highness Sheikh Nasser formed the 25th government on May 28, 2008. However, the extremely tense relations between the legislative and executive authorities caused by an interpellation against the Prime Minister forced the government to resign on November 25, 2008. His Highness the Amir accepted the resignation and the government continued as caretaker until January 22, 2009.

The 26th government was formed by His Highness Sheikh Nasser on January 23 of the same year and resigned after four months. The 27th government formed by His Highness Sheikh Nasser on May 29 and served for two years. It resigned following the growing number of interpellations. His Highness Sheikh Nasser was reassigned to form the 28th government that consisted of 15 ministers including one MP.

On December 13, 2001, His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah formed his first government, the country's 29th. This care-taker government was mandated with organizing elections and its term expired on February 13, 2012. His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak formed the 30th government the following day. However, this government was dropped because the Constitutional Court annulled parliamentary elections. The government resigned on July 18, 2012.

His Highness the Prime Minister formed the 31st government on July 19, 2012 with 13 ministers. This cabinet lasted for four months due to parliament's dissolution. The 32nd government was formed by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak on December 11, 2012. It served for seven months until the Constitutional Court's annulled parliamentary elections that took place in the same month. Elections were held on July 27, 2013.

The 33rd government was formed on August 4, 2013, and ministers tendered their resignations after the Constitutional Court rejected all lawsuits against the legitimacy of the parliamentary elections. The thirty-fourth government was formed on December 10, 2016 headed by His Highness Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, consisted of 15 ministers, including one MP.

The 35th government was formed on December 11, 2017 under the chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak, consisting of 15 ministers, including one MP. The 36th government was formed on December 17, 2019, headed by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. It consisted of 15 ministers, including two MPs, along with the return of seven ministers from the 2017 government and the entry of three women in the new ministerial formation. - KUNA