KUWAIT CITY, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The Kuwaiti cabinet on Sunday submitted its resignation to the Prime Minister, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Dr. Ismael al-Shatti.

    He told the official KUNA news agency that the ministers submitted their resignations to the Prime Minister to "take whatever steps needed in the public interest."

    The resignation was instigated by "the government's inability to carry out its duties with the current parliament," he was quoted as saying.

    According to local media, the cabinet, which has assumed power for only eight months, aimed to prevent a scheduled no-confidence vote against Health Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah al-Sabah.

    On Feb. 19, ten Kuwaiti lawmakers filed a non-confidence motion against Sheikh Ahmad, charging him with mismanagement, administrative irregularities and corruption.

    The parliament is originally scheduled to debate and vote on the motion on Monday.

    Sheikh Ahmad was appointed to the post after the resignation of former Health Minister Mohammad al-Jarallah, who stepped down last year following a similar grilling and a motion of no-confidence.

    No minister in Kuwait's 45-year parliamentary democracy has ever been voted out of office but several ministers were forced to resign before facing a vote of no-confidence.

    Sheikh Ahmad is the second member of the ruling family to face a grilling and a no-confidence motion in the past 10 years.