Kuwait parliament dissolved over budget dispute

The crown prince of Kuwait has dissolved parliament – it is the second parliamentary dissolution since 2016. The government only resigned in April. In the Arab country, the government and members of parliament are at odds.

As announced, Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmed al-Sabah has dissolved the parliament in Kuwait, the state news agency Kuna reports. The Crown Prince has largely taken over government duties from his half-brother, the Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad. In the constitutional hereditary monarchy of Kuwait, the emir appoints and dismisses the government and can also dissolve parliament.

disagreement on numerous issues

The background to the dissolution of parliament is a months-long dispute between the government and parliament over the national budget. This should now only be adopted after the next elections. Parliament has so far rejected the draft budget. Finance Minister Abdul Wahab al-Rashi announced that he would initially work on the basis of the old budget.

Political conflicts block reforms

The government and parliament were recently in a bitter dispute over a number of issues such as fighting corruption. The government handed in its resignation in April, and parliament was last dissolved in 2016.

The ongoing political conflicts in Kuwait are blocking investments and reforms in the Arab country, which has also been hit by the coronavirus pandemic.