Unlike the other Gulf States, Kuwait has a dynamic political life, with a Parliament elected for four years endowed with broad 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 attempts at economic reform.
New twist in the tumultuous political life of the country, the Constitutional Court of Kuwait invalidated, on Sunday March 19, the legislative elections of 2022, won by the opposition which, for the past ten years, boycotted the elections to denounce the interferences of the executive in the legislature.
“Kuwaiti’s Constitutional Court issued a verdict on Sunday invalidating the results of the National Assembly elections”, due to irregularities regarding the dissolution of the previous parliament, the official KUNA news agency reported. The court also ruled for the reinstatement of the Parliament elected in 2020, which had been dissolved in June 2022 by decision of the Crown Prince, Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the same source added. .
According to lawyer Nawaf Al-Yassine, the decision to invalidate the last legislative elections follows several appeals contesting the regularity of the procedures linked to the ballot. “The appeals relate to the invalidity of the electoral process, the decrees calling for elections and the decree dissolving the previous National Assembly”he explained to Agence France-Presse.
Turbulence is holding back reforms
Kuwait is ruled by the ruling family of Al-Sabah, which keeps the keys to power even if the elected officials have important prerogatives and do not hesitate to audition ministers belonging to the royal family accused of mismanagement or even corruption. . Political parties are neither banned nor recognised, but many groups, including Islamists, act as de facto political formations. The current emir, Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, aged 85, remains withdrawn from political life in favor of the crown prince.
The government resigned on January 23, just three months after its formation, the latest episode in the deep political crisis that is rocking the country. The sixth government formed in three years, he was sworn in in October after the victory of the opposition in the legislative elections, with the hope of putting an end to the political turbulence which was curbing any attempt at reform.
The resignation came as lawmakers planned to question two ministers over a debate over consumer loans and mismanagement of public finances in the wealthy state, one of the main exporters of crude oil. in the world.
The resigning government had promised to tackle important issues such as development projects, the fight against corruption and investments. Kuwait’s political instability has dampened investors’ appetites and hampered reforms in this country, which is certainly rich but which is struggling to diversify its economy as its powerful Saudi, Qatari and Emirati neighbors are currently doing.