Kuwait’s crown prince Sheikh Mishal Al Sabah has dissolved the recently reinstated parliament and called for new elections. The move follows the constitutional court’s 19 March ruling that the September 2022 election was void and that the previous parliament should be restored. Given that the Emir had previously dissolved that parliament in August, its restoration was always set to be brief, and new elections appeared inevitable.
The latest saga is reminiscent of events more than a decade ago, when in June 2012 the court annulled the February 2012 elections and reinstated the previous body (MEES, 25 June 2012). The reconstituted parliament was swiftly dissolved again, and elections were then held in December 2012. The atmosphere now is less febrile, with the events of 2012 coinciding with what by Kuwaiti standards were large and volatile public protests. While the situation now is less volatile, Kuwait’s economy has continued to stagnate over the last decade amid political squabbling which has served to do little except hold up crucial economic reforms, block development projects and expand the expensive welfare state. (CONTINUED - 172 WORDS)