Bahrain names first Shi'ite deputy premier

MANAMA, Dec 11 (Reuters) Bahrain formed a new cabinet today, appointing a Shi'ite Muslim as a deputy prime minister for the first time in the Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdom.

Jawad bin Salem al-Oraied, a former cabinet minister, was named as one of three deputies to Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa. The other two deputies are members of the ruling family.

The new line-up also gave a junior foreign portfolio to another member of the country's Shi'ite majority, Nizar bin Sadek al-Baharneh.

King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa kept key portfolios unchanged in the new team as reported by the official Bahrain News Agency.

A new portfolio, oil and gas, was given to the head of the National Oil and Gas Authority, Abdul-Hussain bin Ali Mirza.

King Hamad accepted the resignation of the cabinet yesterday to allow the formation of a new government after parliamentary polls in which opposition Shi'ite Muslims won the largest bloc.

Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, the kingdom's largest Shi'ite opposition group, won 17 of parliament's 40 seats. It had boycotted the previous polls in protest at the introduction of the Shura council, which has the same powers as the elected council.

Last week, Bahrain appointed a 40-member Shura council with 20 Sunni Muslims and 10 women.

REUTERS DKS PM0043