The Kuwaiti government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Hamad al-Sabah, has submitted its resignation to Crown Prince Sheikh Mashaal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Al Arabiya TV channel reported on Tuesday.
The reasons for the executive's decision were not specified. The prime minister took the step ahead of a no-confidence vote against him in parliament. In February, the heads of two security agencies of the emirate - Interior and Defence Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers Hamad Jaber Ali al-Sabah and Ahmad Mansoor al-Ahmad al-Sabah resigned from their posts. The reason was their disagreement with the need to report to parliament, which they called "constitutional arbitrariness and injustice".
These resignations were preceded by interrogations of several cabinet members by parliamentarians, which again highlighted the crisis between the executive and legislative branches in Kuwait. In January, the defense chief had to answer questions from MPs about his activities and struggled to overcome a vote of no confidence. In particular, he had to justify himself for giving women the right to serve in the army in combat units. The foreign minister was also given a vote of no confidence "for alleged financial irregularities" in his department, as well as for "violation of laws and failure to protect the political interests of the country and ensure national security". However, he managed to retain his post at the time.
For many years in Kuwait, the conflict between the elected parliament and the emir-appointed government, that is, between the so-called young and old elites, has been ongoing. The December 2020 parliamentary elections resulted in a 60 percent renewal of the 50-member National Assembly. A month later, MPs called the prime minister to account, accusing him of selecting unqualified and controversial figures for ministerial posts. The full government then resigned. The current cabinet, which has been dominated by members of the ruling family for more than a decade, was formed last December.
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Based on materials from TASS