Kuwait emir reappoints nephew as prime minister

KUWAIT, July 2 (Reuters) Kuwait's ruler today reappointed his nephew as prime minister of the Gulf Arab oil producer and asked him to form a new cabinet following last week's parliamentary polls.

State news agency KUNA said Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah asked Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah to submit a list of ministers for the new cabinet for approval.

The cabinet resigned on Saturday after the June 29 parliamentary elections in a procedural move. Analysts have said they did not expect major changes from the outgoing cabinet.

The general election was held a year early after the emir dissolved parliament amid a deadlock between some MPs and the government over electoral reforms.

Sheikh Nasser was first appointed prime minister in February after Sheikh Sabah assumed power. Sheikh Nasser had then pledged to maintain the foreign policy of the US ally and OPEC producer which sits on about one-tenth of global crude reserves.

REUTERS CH RK1821