Kuwait’s government to resign – report

Kuwait’s government is expected to resign before its weekly meeting on Monday following repeated grillings of ministers by MPs.

Kuwait Times cited government sources as confirming the plans after National Assembly speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem told reporters the government would not attend the next parliament session on Tuesday “whether through resignation or any other measure”.

The development on Wednesday came as 22 lawmakers publicly said they would support a motion of no-confidence against minister of state for cabinet affairs and acting information minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah following a grilling session at the assembly’s opening on Tuesday.

This would make the motion just three votes short of the 25 needed to oust the minister and royal family member from his post.

MPs are said to be also filing to grill more ministers over various allegations including oil minister Essam Al-Marzouq, minister of social affairs and labour Hind Al-Sabeeh and defence minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Khaled Al-Sabah.

Current Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah is widely expected to retain his role to form the new cabinet after the government submits its resignation, according to the publication.

It was unclear if any of the current ministers facing potential grillings would be retained in the new cabinet.

The government is not even a year old after being formed following last November’s parliamentary elections.

The previous parliament was dissolved by Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah following disputes with the government over the lifting of fuel subsidies.

Read: Kuwait ruler dissolves parliament

Information minister and state minister of sports and youth Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah was the first cabinet member forced to step down following a grilling by MPs earlier this year.

Speaker Al-Ghanem said he was not officially informed of any decisions but his personal expectation was that the assembly would not be dissolved. He will hold meetings with MPs this week.