Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah accepted on Sunday (14 November) the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah according to the state news agency (KUNA). The Emir, however, asked the cabinet to stay as a caretaker government until a new cabinet is formed.
Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah submitted the resignation of his cabinet last Monday after failing to address and solve a long-running stand-off between the government and lawmakers in Kuwaiti Parliament.
The latest disagreements between the Prime Minister and the Parliament revolve around the prime minister being granted temporary immunity by parliament, protecting him against questioning from lawmakers on issues including handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and corruption.
The feud between the cabinet and the lawmakers has hindered efforts towards economic recovery and the boosting of state finances. Kuwait’s economy was hard hit last year as the pandemic raged.
Following the Emiri Decree accepting the Prime Minister’s resignation, the heads of three government branches namely the Prime Minister Al-Sabah, the Speaker of the National Assembly (Parliament), Marzouk Al-Ghanem and the president of the Supreme Court Ahmad Al-Ajeel, met with the Emir to discuss the next steps.