Kuwait's longest-serving lawmaker elected parliament speaker

Feb 15, 2012, 14:14 GMT

Cairo - Kuwait's longest-serving lawmaker, Ahmed Al Saadun, was Wednesday elected speaker of the opposition-dominated parliament.

Al Saadun, the 77-year-old opposition lawmaker, has been a member of parliament in the oil-rich Gulf country since 1975. He has previously served as parliament speaker three times.

Islamist Salafist lawmaker Khaled al-Sultan was elected deputy speaker

The Islamist-led opposition won 34 of the 50 parliamentary seats in a snap election held on February 2.

Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah on Wednesday called for cooperation between the new parliament and the government 'to face internal challenges and external dangers.'

'Keeping these dangers at bay should top your list of priorities,' Al Sabah told the inaugural session of parliament, the fourth in six years.

In November, the Kuwaiti ruler dissolved parliament shortly before government ministers were to be questioned about an alleged bribery scam and after youth attacked the parliament building.

While it is not unusual for parliament to try to hold ministers accountable for their actions, the ruling family considers it a breach of honour if a relative of the emir has to justify himself to the legislature.