Let voice of reason prevail in Kuwait

Last week a visibly stressed Kuwaiti Emir warned, in an address to the nation, that the political crisis in the Gulf state was spinning out of control. "We have had enough" of political and sectarian quarrelling and using the parliament to settle scores, Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah said. Almost all politicians, in the government and its opponents in the National Assembly, said they will heed the Emir's call and pledged to work unitedly for the best interests of Kuwait, for long a beacon of democracy in the Gulf.

Two days earlier, a group of lawmakers grilled Prime Minister Shaikh Nasser Al Mohammad Al Sabah, for nine hours in parliament in a move the majority of Kuwaitis say is politically motivated. He survived the confidence vote on Wednesday and the citizens thought it was time to end the crisis.

They were wrong. Just as the prime minister was leaving the parliament building, three other MPs filed a new request to quiz him over other issues, some of which date back to 2007 and 2008. In addition to the request, they are mobilising their supporters to rally on the streets to force the resignation of Shaikh Nasser.

It has become clear that some parliamentary blocs, even those which consist of only two MPs, seek to prolong the crisis and force drastic measures by the Emir obviously. Such a measure can either be dissolving the government — this happened twice in the past two years — or the dissolution of the elected assembly, which will be a setback to the Kuwaiti parliamentary experience during what is being called the Arab Spring.

It is hoped that reason will prevail in Kuwait, and politicians will stand by the constitution, as the Emir said in his speech. The country needs a break to address more urgent matters such as the development plan, passed few months ago by parliament.