Kuwaiti prime minister proposes new cabinet lineup

By Mohamed Abdul Ghaffar

KUWAIT CITY (AA) - Kuwaiti Prime Minister Jaber al-Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah on Monday presented the country’s emir with a proposed new cabinet lineup, Kuwait’s official KUNA news agency reported.

According to KUNA, the proposed cabinet lineup contains nine new members, including Nasser Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah (the emir’s son) as first deputy PM and defense minister; Bassel Hamoud Hamad al-Sabah as health minister; and Nayef Falah al-Hajraf as finance minister.

If the emir approves the proposed lineup, Jinan Mohsin Ramadan, a woman, would be appointed minister of state for housing affairs, while Adel al-Kharafi would be made minister of state for parliamentary affairs and Fahad Mohamad al-Afasi would be given both the justice and religious affairs portfolios.

According to KUNA, Bakheet al-Rasheedi will head up both the petroleum and the electricity/water ministries; Hussam Abdullah al-Roumi will become both public works minister and minister of state for municipal affairs; and Hamid Mohamed al-Azmi will take both the education and higher education portfolios.

Last month, the emir ordered the prime minister to draw up proposals for a new government after cabinet members tendered a mass resignation amid a dispute with the country’s parliament.

The new government will be the seventh to be headed up by Sheikh Jaber.

According to Kuwait’s constitution, the government is comprised of 16 cabinet ministers.