Jassem al-Kharafi was elected on Sunday as Kuwait's parliamentary speaker after the country's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah inaugurated the first session of the assembly's new legislative term, dpa reported.
Winning 52 votes against his opponent, Abdullah al-Romy, al-Kharafi will head the parliament for the fourth time after holding the same post in 1999, 2003 and 2006, Kuwait's (Kuna) news agency said.
Sheikh al-Sabah opened the first session of the parliament's 12th term to end the political stalemate between MPs and the government, but al-Arabiya news channel reported that some members of parliament withdrew from the session in protest at the new cabinet structure.
Sheikh al-Sabah unveiled on Wednesday a 16-member cabinet formed following May 17 elections. The new cabinet reflects the Gulf country's sectarian, tribal and political make-up.
Among the 16 ministers, who were all sworn in by Kuwait's emir, are four ministers from the country's tribes, two from the Shiite minority, two liberals and one Islamist.
The appointment of two women drew the anger of Islamists.
Nuriya al-Sebih retained the post of education minister while Mudhi al-Humud, who is a liberal academic, was appointed as state minister for housing and administrative development.