The opposition, which had boycotted the legislative elections of the last ten years to denounce the interference of the executive power, had won at the end of September the majority of the seats of the National Assembly.
The world with AFP
Unlike other Gulf States, Kuwait has a dynamic political life, with an elected parliament for four years endowed with large legislative powers and where the debates are often lively. This rich oil state has however been shaken for years by repeated political crises which have hampered its desires for economic reforms.
New twist in the country’s tumultuous political life, the Constitutional Court of Kuwait invalidated on Sunday March 19, the legislative elections of 2022, won by the opposition which, in the last ten years, boycotted the elections to denounce the interference of the ‘Executive in legislative power.
“The Kuwaitian Constitutional Court made a verdict on Sunday invalidating the results of the elections of the National Assembly”, due to irregularities concerning the dissolution of the previous parliament, said the official Kuna news agency. The court also spoke out for the restoration of the Parliament elected in 2020, which had been dissolved last June by decision of the Crown Prince, Cheikh Mechaal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, it was added from the same source .
According to lawyer Nawaf al-Yassine, the decision to invalidate the last legislative elections follows several appeals contesting the regularity of procedures related to the election. “The appeals relate to the invalidity of the electoral process, the decrees calling for elections and the decree of dissolution of the previous National Assembly,” he explained to the France-Presse agency.
Turbulences slow down reforms
Kuwait is led by the ruling family of the al-Sabah which keeps the keys to power even if elected officials have important prerogatives, not hesitating to put on the grill of ministers belonging to the royal family accused of bad management and even corruption. Political parties are neither prohibited nor recognized, but many groups, including Islamists, act de facto as political parties. The current emir, Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 85, remains behind political life for the benefit of the crown prince.
The government resigned only three months after its training on January 23, last episode in the deep political crisis which agitates the country. Sixth Government formed in three years, he had sworn in October after the opposition victory in the legislative elections, with the hope of putting an end to the political turbulence which stopped any attempted reform.
This resignation had intervened when parliamentarians planned to question two ministers about a debate on consumer loans and poor public finance management of this rich state, one of the main exporting countries crude oil in the world.
The resigning government had promised to tackle important files such as development projects, the fight against corruption and investments. The political instability of Kuwait has cooled the appetite of investors and hampered reforms in this country certainly rich but which struggles to diversify its economy as currently do its powerful Saudi neighbor, Qataris and Emiratis.