Kuwait Emir dissolves parliament

CAIRO: Kuwait’s emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah issued a decree on Thursday to dissolve the parliament, state news agency KUNA reported.

The Emiri decree was based on the assembly’s “violation of the constitutional principles”, KUNA added.

The legislature in Kuwait wields more influence than similar bodies in other Gulf monarchies, and political deadlock has for decades led to cabinet reshuffles and dissolutions of parliament.

The announcement came after ministers boycotted a parliamentary session on Wednesday in objection to a speech delivered by one lawmaker. The speech by Abdul Karim al-Kandari referred to criticism of the cabinet as well as parliament levelled by the country’s new Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmed al-Sabah.Cabinet ministers interpreted the remarks as an insult to the Emir, who demanded improvements from the country’s executive and legislative branches in his inaugural speech in December.

The deadlocks have prevented lawmakers from passing reforms to diversify the economy, while repeated budget deficits and low foreign investment have added to the air of gloom.

In his inaugural speech, the emir rebuked parliament and the cabinet for failing to fulfil their “national obligations”, while accusing them of harming the interests of the state and its people.