Kuwait: The Emir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and the holding of parliamentary elections, against the backdrop of a crisis of lack of cooperation between the government and the parliament, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.
This came in a speech delivered by the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Ahmad, on his behalf on, Wednesday, on official television, in which he affirmed the constitutional dissolution of the National Assembly and the resort to new elections within months.
The Crown Prince of Kuwait said, “We will not interfere in the elections or in the selection of the next Speaker of the National Assembly, and we will not deviate from the constitution, nor will we amend or disrupt it,” noting: “We have assumed the secretariat of government as a mandate and not an honor, and we pledge to preserve this secretariat.”
In the speech of the Emir of Kuwait, the Crown Prince indicated that “Kuwait is a state of institutions, with a pioneering experience and a beacon for humanitarian work.”
He stressed, “We are working to achieve national stability and the welfare of the people and to confirm their unity,” returning that “there are dangers and crises surrounding the country from all sides.”
He pointed out that “the political scene is torn by differences and personal interests at the expense of the nation,” adding that “the crack in the relationship between the executive and legislative authorities is disrupting them, as there are practices that threaten national unity and are not in line with the interests of citizens.”
He stressed that “the absence of the government’s role in follow-up and accountability has disrupted the development process.”
He said, “We did not interfere in the authorities’ work, but we did not see any achievements from them. Citizens are not satisfied with the work of the legislative and executive authorities,” stressing that “the current situation requires us to pause and review.”
In the first reaction from inside Kuwait, Marzouq Al-Ghanim, Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, announced his support for what was stated in the Emir of the country’s speech.
Al-Ghanim said in a tweet on his Twitter account: “Based on Sharia, the constitution, and our morals as Kuwaitis, we must rally around the political leadership in what it sees as the supreme interest of the nation, and support and assist it until we cross Kuwait to safety.”
On Tuesday, 17 members of the opposition announced, after a special session to approve the retirement grant law, the launch of the “House of the Nation sit-in” in the parliament, through joint tweets on their Twitter accounts, “a refusal to disrupt the provisions of the constitution, paralyze political life, tamper with the nation’s capabilities, and political blackmail.”
It is noteworthy that the National Assembly has not held its regular sessions since the session to discuss the questioning of the Prime Minister, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, on March 29, which was followed by the announcement of 26 deputies not to cooperate with the Prime Minister, which means the overthrow of the government, which led to him submitting the government’s resignation on April 5.
On May 10, the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad, issued an Emiri order accepting the resignation of the government and assigning it to take care of urgent matters.
