A number of MPs behaved yesterday as if the dissolution of the Assembly was but a foregone conclusion. Several MPs, speaking on condition of anonymity said that a decision to dissolve the Assembly has in fact been taken or at least was the most likely scenario. Sources said that the government has already prepared an Amiri decree dissolving the Assembly, but this does not mean that HH the Amir will sign it.
Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi refused to speculate on the next course of action, saying that the matter was in the safe hands of the Amir, who will certainly take the decision that is in the interest of the country. Under the constitution, the Amir is the head of all authorities and is the only one entrusted with dissolving the National Assembly or sacking the government as a way out of this crisis.
A number of MPs however expressed fear that the Assembly may be dissolved unconstitutionally, which means suspending the Assembly and not calling for new elections. To do that, a number of constitutional provisions must be frozen similar to two occasions in the past. In 1976, the Assembly was suspended for five years and it was suspended for six years in 1986. The Assembly was dissolved and early elections called also on two occasions – in 1999 and 2006.
There are several options available to resolve the crisis: The Amir may reject the ministers’ resignation and ask them to stay in their posts or could accept them and ask the prime minister to form a new cabinet or reshuffle the existing one. The Amir may dissolve the Assembly and call for early elections within 60 days in accordance with the constitution.
Islamist MP Dhaifallah Buramia however alleged that the letter of resignation by the ministers clearly instigates the suspension of the Assembly. Buramia warned that if the Assembly is dissolved and no elections were held, "we will go to the streets in order to express our rejection of this move".
Earlier in the day, Khorafi called off a scheduled regular session for the Assembly because the government informed the Assembly that it will not attend. Assembly sessions are legitimate only when there is at least one minister in attendance. Deputies were to have voted on a law opposed by the government to raise the salaries of Kuwaitis by an extra KD 50 a month. Last month, the government raised the salaries of citizens by KD 120, but that increase was seen as inadequate by a majority of MPs.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah said the ministers were forced to resign because "we were not allowed to carry out our job in the best way", alluding to lack of cooperation from parliament. "This is a very serious and sensitive stage because of regional developments and this requires a new direction" for the country, the minister told reporters.
Khorafi later told reporters that the government should share the blame for the current standoff because a number of ministers contributed to the lack of cooperation. The speaker denied that he was mediating to resolve the crisis, saying that the issue is already in the hands of the Amir and "I am certain he will take the right decision".
Several MPs have also strongly lashed out at the government saying it was weak, indecisive and incompetent and was "unable to run the affairs of the country". Almost all MPs who spoke yesterday said they welcomed dissolving the Assembly and holding early elections to allow the people to elect their representatives on the basis of the five electoral districts. Musallam Al-Barrak of the Popular Bloc said the last straw for the government was the salary raise, but like many deputies, he blamed a lack of coope
ration on the part of the government.
The Justice and Development Movement meanwhile said in a statement that forces of corruption have joined hands in their fight against the prime minister in a bid to stop his reforms. The Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM) said that Kuwaiti problems need fundamental solutions. MP Adel Al-Saraawi charged that some senior people who lost their posts and influence were behind the current crisis, without naming them.
I think the Amir will dissolve the parliament to end this crisis between government and parliament," said political analyst Ali Al-Baghli, a former Kuwaiti oil minister. "The government was not decisive enough and lacked a clear agenda and MPs focussed on popular demands… There is hope that a new assembly will change things but I am not too optimistic.
