MP Saifi Al-Saifi invites oppn to join Cabinet

Just a day after HH the Amir suspended the National Assembly for a month, Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah held talks with Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun and several MPs from the opposition, inviting the parliamentary majority bloc to join the Cabinet. Opposition MP Saifi Al-Saifi told reporters after the meeting that during the talks, Sheikh Jaber offered the opposition to join the Cabinet, which is being reshuffled after two of its members were forced to resign. Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah said the talks did not mention a specific number of MPs who may join the government, adding that the outcome of the meeting was very positive. Sheikh Jaber said after the meeting that “everything is fine” without elaborating. Saifi said the opposition majority bloc will meet soon to study the premier’s proposal about participating in the Cabinet amid mixed demands from opposition MPs about the number of lawmakers that should be included in the Cabinet. But Saifi said that the majority bloc told the prime minister they are ready to extend a hand of cooperation with the government even if they did not join the Cabinet provided that the government applies the law and complies with the constitution. MPs urged the prime minister during the meeting to implement a number of projects that have been stalled for a long time and the premier promised to do that, Saifi said. The information minister said the meeting was held in a highly positive atmosphere “which makes us optimistic that we will be able to overcome the previous difficulties”. He said that another meeting will be held later in the week to organize priorities during the suspension of the Assembly. Liberal MP Marzouk Al-Ghanem meanwhile said that it is natural for the majority bloc to take part in the government but said that only qualified MPs should join the Cabinet. The Amir on Monday issued a decree suspending National Assembly sessions for one month in an attempt to defuse political tensions. The action is based on an article in the constitution that allows the Amir to suspend Assembly meetings for a period not exceeding one month. The move came as the prime minister was contemplating a solution for the country’s latest political crisis which came after two ministers were forced to step down under pressure by opposition MPs. Finance minister Mustafa Al-Shamali resigned last month following a grilling in the Assembly for allegedly squandering public funds while minister of social affairs and labour Ahmad Al-Rujaib resigned last week after two opposition MPs filed two requests to grill him. The constitutional court meanwhile is scheduled to issue a number of important rulings regarding petitions challenging the results of the Assembly election in February. The membership of several MPs is threatened of being annulled. The court is also expected to issue its ruling on a petition filed by a candidate in the election Safa Al-Hashem challenging the constitutionality of dissolving the previous Assembly. If the court rules against the dissolution, the current Assembly may be declared illegal. Rulings by the constitutional court are final.