Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal has appointed Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah to take on the role of Deputy Emir when he is not in the country.
He also directed Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Al Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and acting Interior Minister, to take up the role of prime minister during these periods.
“The Emiri order appointing … Sheikh Dr Mohammed Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah, Prime Minister, as Deputy Emir stipulates that this procedure will continue until the crown prince is appointed,” the Kuwait News Agency reported, citing the royal decree.
The role of deputy ruler is taken by the crown prince, who has yet to be appointed.
Sheikh Mohammed was appointed as Prime Minister earlier this month and is in the process of drafting his government plan, which his cabinet is expected to present to parliament at its next session on February 6.
Sheikh Meshal, previously the Crown Prince, officially became Ruler upon the death of his predecessor Sheikh Nawaf in December.
Constitutionally, Sheikh Meshal has up to a year upon to nominate a crown prince.
Article 4 of Kuwait’s constitution stipulates that a crown prince’s nomination becomes official only if the parliament “swears fealty to him by a consenting majority of the members composing the National Assembly sitting in special session”.
Should a nominated crown prince not secure the consent of the majority in the National Assembly, the constitution then requires Sheikh Meshal to nominate at least three descendants of Sheikh Mubarak Al Sabah, one of whom must be approved as the next heir apparent by a majority vote in parliament.
Observers believe Sheikh Meshal might take his time in appointing a crown prince, given the ageing line of succession in recent years.
Sheikh Meshal was 80 years old when he was appointed as Crown Prince in 2020.
“Whether Kuwait witnesses its first generational shift in decades or not in terms of the choice of crown prince, the country will need to deliver on various fronts,” Bader Alsaif, an assistant professor of history at Kuwait University, told The National.
“The political calm of the past few months is the necessary platform for implementing urgently needed reforms.”
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Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Safe City Group
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
Read more about the coronavirus
'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
