KUWAIT (Reuters) - The dispute between the Kuwaiti government and the majority of the newly elected members of the National Assembly over the date of the first session of the new parliament intensified. On Sunday, about forty deputies from the elected fifty-member parliament attended a session described as symbolic, without the presence of the government, the emir or their representatives. .

Representative Jenan Mohsen Ramadan announced on Twitter that the session was held a short while ago, "chaired by the head of the age, Brother Marzouq Al-Habini, and the names were read and the session was adjourned because the government did not attend."

Representative Mohamed Barak Al-Mutair published a list of the present deputies, numbering 40 out of a total of 50 deputies elected on September 29.

Outside the parliament building, there were a number of journalists and media professionals, without any appearance of anything unusual.

And the majority of parliament members announced last night that they would attend the session on Sunday, for what they considered adherence to the provisions of the constitution, which they say imposed a maximum date for the first session of Parliament.

The first session was scheduled to start on October 11, but an Emiri decree was issued to postpone the session to October 18, which observers considered a step to give the prime minister a greater opportunity to form a government that had the support of parliamentarians, after most of them announced their rejection of the government he formed immediately after the elections.

However, the decree to postpone the first session of Parliament was considered by lawmakers and jurists in violation of Article 87 of the Constitution, which imposes specific dates for the first session of Parliament after the elections, while government supporters say that it is within the authority of the Emir of the country, according to the text of Article 106 of the Constitution, to postpone the sessions for a period of one month, and this applies to the first session.

The constitution stipulates that “the Emir shall summon the National Assembly for the first meeting following the general elections of the Assembly within two weeks of the end of those elections.

   The government has not yet taken the oath before the emir, while local media said that its ministers put their resignations at the disposal of the prime minister, but no official announcement was made about this resignation, and Reuters was not able to obtain a government comment.

Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al-Sabah held extensive consultations with parliament members last week and is expected to announce a new government on Sunday or Monday.