Kuwait’s government has resigned, barely six months after being appointed, as it tries to out-manoeuvre lawmakers seeking to pass legislation ministers say would strain state finances.
The prime minister submitted the resignation to the crown prince, state-run news agency KUNA reported Monday.
One of the disputed bills included a proposal for the government to buy billions of dinars worth of citizens’ consumer loans.
Kuwait Government
Ministers have rebuffed this and other ideas, such as raising government spending on salaries and other benefits, as the OPEC member state reaps the profits of buoyant crude prices.
Relations between the elected parliament and the government installed by the ruling Al-Sabah family have soured to the point where ministers have walked out in protest.
Kuwaiti politics has for years been gridlocked by similar disputes, deterring foreign investment, thwarting fiscal reform and hindering efforts to diversify the oil-reliant economy.
The government was formed in July under Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Sabah, the eldest son of Kuwait’s ailing ruler.
It pledged to push through stalled economic legislation and restore political stability after years of turbulence.
Higher oil prices have allowed Kuwait to replenish the state treasury, which was almost entirely depleted some two years ago.
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