Kuwait's emir reappointed Wednesday his former prime minister who resigned last month and asked him to form a new Cabinet. Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah resigned in late November in protest over attempts by three Islamist lawmakers to question him in parliament. He was to be probed about corruption charges, deteriorating public services and accusations he intervened to help a controversial Shiite Iranian cleric convicted by a Kuwaiti court of insulting the companions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) visit the country. The resignation of Sheik Nasser and his Cabinet aborted the questioning which could have led to an impeachment vote. It also opened the door to speculation the ruler could dissolve the legislature. The three lawmakers who wanted to question the prime minister have called on the emir, Sheik Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, to choose another premier. However, many other legislators have said it was not fair to blame the prime minister for problems that accumulated over decades, and warned of fanning sectarian tensions for political purposes. When the Cabinet quit, it said the questioning of the prime minister before lawmakers did not conform with true democratic practice, and that the lawmakers were corrupting the society under the guise of democracy.
