Amir dissolves the National Assembly and suspends the constitution for four years

By B. Izzak

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Friday dissolved the newly elected National Assembly and suspended articles in the constitution calling for new elections for up to four years, saying he has made the “difficult decision” to save, strengthen the country and stop ongoing crises that derail development.

His Highness the Emir also ordered the formation of a committee to amend the constitution, which has never been amended since its promulgation in 1962.

The new National Assembly was just elected on April 4, with Kuwaiti voters voting against it by an overwhelming opposition majority.

The decisions of His Highness the Amir mean that after the dissolution of Parliament there will be no new general elections as provided for in the Constitution, as these articles have been suspended in the Constitution for four years.

This is the third time the country’s constitution has been suspended, following a five-year suspension in 1976 and a six-year suspension in 1986.

His Highness Sheikh Mishal said he had made the difficult decision to “save the country and protect its high national interests,” adding that some members of the National Assembly had exceeded their powers to such an extent that “we cannot remain silent.” .

Kuwait was the first Gulf state to enact a constitution in 1962 and embrace parliamentary democracy, in which elected representatives can question and vote out members of the government.

But over the past two decades, the democratic experience has been marred by ongoing disputes between the government and the National Assembly.

Since 2006, the assembly has been legally dissolved or annulled at least ten times and an equal number of elections have been held. There have been four general elections in the last four years and dozens of governments have resigned due to the political unrest.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishaal said that as a result of instability, corruption has spread in all areas, including the security and economic sectors.

He also accused MPs of abusing democracy and the National Assembly, adding that he would not allow democracy to be misused to destroy the state.