Kuwaiti government resigns
Kuwait City has submitted its resignation after repeated standoffs on fiscal reforms.
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The Kuwaiti Crown Prince, Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah (C), makes a gesture when he is sworn in before Parliament on 8 October 2020, in Kuwait City. (AFP)
The Kuwaiti government submitted its resignation on Tuesday, according to state news agency KUNA, before a no-confidence vote against the prime minister in parliament. This comes after a feud that has hampered fiscal reform in the country.
Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah received the government's letter of resignation from Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid, according to KUNA.
Sheikh Sabah, a member of the ruling Al-Sabah family since late 2019, has faced legal quarrels as opposition members of the parliament questioned him on issues pertaining to corruption.
The resignation comes after 10 MPs filed a motion of non-cooperation last week. Sabah faces several allegations including “unconstitutional practices and a lack of cooperation with the legislative authority."
A non-cooperation motion was scheduled for Wednesday.
The Kuwaiti parliament, in comparison to other governments in the Gulf, has the power to pass and block laws, question ministers, and lodge no-confidence motions against government officials.
Nasser Al-Abdali, a Kuwaiti political analyst, said "There is a generational struggle inside the ruling family," he told Reuters. "It is expected that the resignation will be accepted and a new prime minister appointed."
