KUWAIT CITY: Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah on Monday accepted the resignation of the cabinet which quit as part of a routine process after election, the official KUNA news agency reported.

The ruler also asked outgoing Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah and other ministers to continue as a caretaker government until a new cabinet is formed.

Sheikh Jaber submitted the resignation of the five-month-old government two days after the snap polls that were boycotted by the opposition and which witnessed a low voter turnout.

Head of the National Election Commission, Ahmad al-Ajeel, announced Monday that voter turnout was 39.7 percent. The opposition has said the turnout was only 26.7 percent.

The emir will hold consultations with senior officials and former parliament speakers before he names either Sheikh Jaber, a senior member of the ruling family, or someone else to form a new cabinet.

The new government must be ready before the parliament holds its inaugural session within the next 14 days, in accordance with the constitution.

Sheikh Jaber was appointed premier in November last year after the resignation of former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah, a nephew of the emir, following a dispute with the opposition and allegations of corruption.

Candidates from the Shiite minority emerged the main victors from Saturday's poll winning 17 seats in the 50-member parliament. The new parliament has no members from the opposition which totally boycotted the polls.

The Islamist, nationalist and liberal opposition has declared the election unconstitutional and called for abolishing the new parliament. It plans to stage a demonstration on Saturday.