Manama: Political storm clouds are again looming large over Kuwait after the government resigned on Monday and Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad accepted the resignation of the cabinet led by Prime Minister Shaikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah.
“The premier and ministers will proceed amid urgent circumstances as a caretaker cabinet, pending the formation of a new cabinet,” the Emiri Order said, Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) reported.
The order was taken “after revision of the National Constitution, the Emiri Order issued on November 30, 2016, naming Shaikh Jaber as Prime Minister, the decree on the formation of the cabinet and its amending decrees, as well as the resignation letter.”
The resignation of the government has been expected after lawmakers last week filed a no-confidence motion against State Minister for Cabinet Affairs and Acting Minister of Information Shaikh Mohammad Abdullah Al Sabah following a lengthy grilling session over alleged administrative and financial irregularities that he vehemently denied.
In the run-up to the resignation, several Kuwaitis predicted that only Shaikh Mohammad would leave the government and avoid the no-confidence session, allowing the other ministers to keep their portfolios.
However, amid the tension that has prevailed lately in the relations between the executive and legislative branches and the “ominous” prospects of more motions to grill ministers, having the whole government leave seemed a better option in the long run.
The parliament elected in November last year includes several lawmakers who had run on promises to keep pressure on the government and boost or at least keep privileges for citizens despite the economic challenges facing Kuwait in the wake of the dramatic drop in the prices of oil.
Tension also built up after the parliament and the government failed to reach satisfactory agreements on several issues, including the reinstatement of revoked citizenships.
Some lawmakers warned that the alternations between parliaments being dissolved and governments resigning could eventually make people doubt the merit of democratic practices.
The government did not reach one full year and had to be content with 11 months since it was appointed on November 30 last year.
Shaikh Jaber is largely expected to form the new cabinet amid speculation that the process would take more than three weeks since there is no specific timeframe for the formation of a government following its resignation.
