Kuwaiti Emir Dissolves Parliament After Lawmakers’ Offensive Language

Fiona MacDonald
·2 min read
121

(Bloomberg) -- Kuwait’s ruler, Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, issued a decree on Thursday dissolving parliament after lawmakers used language deemed as offensive to him, in violation of the country’s constitution.

Most Read from Bloomberg

It’s the third time since June 2022 that the elected National Assembly is disbanded. The move marked another example of the political dysfunction that has plagued the country and stymied development for years, deterring foreign investment, thwarting fiscal reform and hindering efforts to diversify the oil-reliant economy.

The decree cited “unrestrained, insulting language” that failed to respect the emir’s position. The catalyst for the decree was recent comments by lawmaker AbdulKarim Al-Kandari that were deemed offensive to the emir. The ruler assumed office two months ago after the death of his half brother.

Further stoking tensions was a vote by legislators on Tuesday against deleting the remarks from parliamentary records. In response, the government didn’t attend Wednesday’s session.

The decree is based on Article 107 of the constitution, which means elections should take place within two months of the decree going into effect. Any criticism of the Kuwaiti ruler’s actions or decisions is prohibited according to the country’s constitution.

“The dispute could have been resolved quietly behind closed doors had there been optimal coordination between both branches,” Bader Al-Saif, an assistant professor at Kuwait University and a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said on his account on X, the social media platform. “I noted last month this government will not last long.”

Read also: Kuwait Taps Harvard-Educated Economist, Diplomat as New Premier

Sheikh Mishaal has been working to rechart the country’s course after the years of challenges. In January, he appointed Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah as the country’s new prime minister, looking to the 68-year-old holder of a Harvard University economics doctorate to lay out a new path that includes economic development. His new cabinet was the sixth in less than 18 months.

Kuwait is a key US ally in the Middle East, one of the world’s biggest oil exporters and home to a sovereign wealth fund valued at over $700 billion. It has the Gulf Cooperation Council’s only elected parliament.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.