Kuwait’s Government Resigns Ahead of No-confidence Vote

Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah submitted his government’s resignation to Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Tuesday, ahead of a no-confidence vote scheduled for Wednesday in parliament, state news agency KUNA reported. The crown prince took over most of the ruling emir’s duties last year. The prime minister, a member of the royal family who put together the current cabinet in December 2021 and who has headed a series of cabinets since late 2019, has faced a strong challenge from opposition parliamentarians over a number of issues. These include the need to pass fiscal and economic reforms, plans to trim the bloated public sector, and the perception of corruption. Kuwait’s legislative assembly has more power than similar bodies in other Gulf states, and MPs are sometimes vigorous critics of the executive branch. In February, Interior Minister Ahmad Mansour Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Defense Minister Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah, who like the prime minister are members of the ruling family, resigned over what they called “arbitrary” questioning of ministers by legislators.