Kuwaiti Opposition Lawmakers Stage Sit-in

Some opposition leaders in Kuwait have staged a sit in protest to pressure the country’s crown prince to appoint a new government. More than a dozen of the opposition lawmakers began the sit-in on Tuesday in the parliament complex. The demand comes two months after a caretaker government resigned over disagreements with the parliament over issues including the need to pass fiscal and economic reforms, plans to trim the bloated public sector, and the perception of corruption. Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah accepted the resignation submitted by the government on May 10, ahead of a no-confidence vote. The crown prince has not yet named a replacement prime minister.

The government has not commented on the sit-in. Opposition lawmakers tweeted about the sit-in, saying it is “a peaceful and civilized expression” meant to stop the “political paralysis” and “disruption of the constitution.”

Kuwait has given its National Assembly more influence than parliaments than in other Gulf states overseen by monarchies.