Kuwait City: Senior member Ahmad Al Sadoon was elected as the Speaker of the Parliament. The first session of the 17th National Assembly opened this morning with an address by Deputy Emir and Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah spoke. Then, ministers and elected members of the 50-member parliament were sworn in. Only then was the National Assembly elected Speaker. There was only the nomination of the senior member, Ahmad Al-Sadoon.
Muhammad Al Mutair was also elected as the Deputy Speaker. There was a hunt for the Deputy Speaker election. Dr. Hassan Jawahar was defeated by Muhammad Al Mutair. The term of the National Assembly is four years. Two members have a term until it expires.
Osama Al Shah has also been elected as the Secretary of the National Assembly.
Born in 1934, Al-Sadoon was Speaker of the House in 1985, 1992 and 1996. Since 1975, he has been a member of the Legislative Assembly for 10 consecutive terms.
Ahead of the Speaker election, Ammar Al-Ajmi, Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs and Minister of State for Housing, announced that he would leave the Government Hall to allow MPs to choose their Speaker in a ‘transparent and fair manner’. Deputy Emir and Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah reiterated in his speech before Parliament today that the government will not interfere in the selection of the Speaker or committees.
