Kuwait Times, Wed, Apr 17, 2024 | Shawwal 8, 1445
Assembly ‘opener’ on April 21
Kuwait:
MP Saleh Ashour, the second
oldest lawmaker in the National Assembly who will chair the house’s opening
session, invited lawmakers on Tuesday to attend the new Assembly’s opener on
Sunday, April 21. Ashour said the Assembly’s secretariat contacted former
speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun, who is the oldest member at 90 years old, to chair the
opening session, but he apologized because he plans to run for the speaker’s
post.
As a result, Ashour officially became the lawmaker to chair the opening session,
he said. Ashour said after HH the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
issued a decree postponing the opening session to May 14, the earlier decree
which set the opener on April 17 became redundant. The opening session is
expected to be only ceremonial, since no government has been formed and no
Assembly session can be held without the presence of at least one Cabinet
minister.
The controversy started when an Amiri decree was issued inviting MPs for an
April 17 opening session in accordance with article 87 of the constitution,
which states that the inauguration of the new Assembly must take place within
two weeks of announcing the election results. But HH the Amir later invoked his
constitutional powers in accordance with article 106 of the constitution, which
allows HH the Amir to postpone Assembly sessions for up to one month.
The postponement came after caretaker prime minister HH Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah
Al-Salem Al-Sabah declined an offer to form the new Cabinet. HH the Amir later
named Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah to form the new government.
Meanwhile, government spokesman Amer Al-Ajmi on Tuesday reiterated that the
government has not taken any decision to raise fuel prices after MP Shuaib
Al-Muwaizri released documents showing that the government has indeed taken a
decision to raise fuel prices by 25 percent. Ajmi reiterated that the entire
issue was sent back to the ministerial committee responsible for studying
subsidies and price hikes.
Muwaizri had said on Monday that a decision to raise petrol prices had been
taken by the government. Ajmi immediately denied the report, insisting that the
issue was still under study. Muwaizri then displayed documents, saying they were
from the Cabinet and showing the decision had been taken, which was denied again
by the government spokesman.