Kuwait’s ruling emir dissolved the country’s parliament on the afternoon of Sunday, 16 October and the entire cabinet subsequently resigned following disputes over cuts to some benefits, including oil subsidies.
The cuts, which increased the cost of petrol by up to 80%, were in reaction to the ongoing depression in the price of oil, which has placed a major strain on Kuwait’s economy – the most oil-dependent in the world, according to the World Bank figures quoted by the World Economic Forum in May 2016.
MPs in the now dissolved parliament were widely regarded as pro-government, according to the BBC, but had filed three requests to ask ministers about the price rises.
The dissolution also halts plans for the questioning of the finance minister. The Thursday before, MPs Abdullah Al-Turaiji, Ali Al-Khamees and Ahmad Al-Azemi had filed to interrogate the finance minister and acting oil minister Anas Al-Saleh over the government decision to raise petrol prices.
Two other lawmakers, Abdullah Maayouf and Ahmad Al-Qhudhaibi, had also filed requests to grill the justice and Islamic affairs minister Yaqoub Al-Sane over alleged financial and administrative violations.
The emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, issued the decree dissolving the national assembly after an emergency government meeting, citing “the circumstances in the region”.
State-run TV attributed the disputes to a “lack of co-operation”.
The dissolution of parliament paves the way for the triggering of early elections ahead of the date when parliament had been due to complete its term in July next year.
Snap parliamentary polls must now be held within 60 days as per the Kuwaiti constitution and politicians are gearing up for campaigning.
Earlier on Sunday, speaker Marzouq al-Ghanem called for early elections, saying the country faces “economic security and regional challenges” and that “the only way” to deal with them was to “form a new government line-up”.
