Emir of Kuwait dissolves parliament over 'lack of cooperation'

Tensions within the Kuwaiti government have led to the resignation of its cabinet and the dissolution of parliament, according to reports.

An election must now be called by its emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, within two months, according to the rules of the country's constitution state.

"The cabinet has resigned because of the non-cooperation with the parliament," Al Anba daily reported on its website.

"The government is currently holding an emergency meeting at Bayan Palace."

On Thursday (13 October) MPs filed a series of requests to grill finance minister Anas al-Saleh over the country's decision to raise oil prices and a range of other ministers over alleged financial and administrative violations.

Khalaf Dumaitheer MP told the Kuwait Times, on Tuesday, that he believed that the government would be dissolved "within days".

The events came just before the parliament was due to start the final year of its four-year term in office.

In an interview with Al-Rai television on Saturday (15 October), Kuwait's speaker of parliament Marzouk al-Ghanem said the country was facing a "delicate and exceptional period with regional security, economic and domestic and external challenges".

"We cannot overcome this period if we don't have a new government team… and go back to the ballot boxes," the speaker said.

This view, he said, was shared by Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah, a senior member of Kuwait's ruling family, along with many lawmakers.

"I have informed the political leadership [the emir] of this personal view and he has the ultimate decision."

Under the constitution, only Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has the power to dissolve parliament and call early elections.

Kuwaiti lawmakers have been angered by the cabinet's unilateral decision to raise petrol prices by between 40%-80%. The Opec member pumps about three million barrels of oil per day.

Other areas of the Kuwaiti government have been under scrutiny, with the country's Olympic Committee and football association being dissolved earlier this year over alleged financial irregularities.