Kuwait parliament dissolution claims dismissed
Legislative sessions to resume on October 24, Speaker says
Kuwait’s Speaker Marzouq Al Ganem has dismissed claims the parliament will be dissolved.
He said such allegations were routinely made by parties known to all, whenever the parliament gets ready to convene for a new term. The speaker attributed the allegations to a drive to incite lawmakers to escalate the situation without taking into consideration all local and regional situations and developments.
“There is nothing at all related to dissolving the parliament right now and, in all cases, it is the prerogative of His Highness the Emir,” Al Ganem told reporters in Kuwait City.
Parliament will convene on October 24 following the summer recess after the date was coordinated with the Emir and the government, he added. “We look forward to a successful term during which we will avoid the mistakes of the past and fulfil as much as possible the aspirations of our citizens,” he said.
Several lawmakers have been making statements they would file motions to grill ministers over several issues when the parliamentary sessions resume.
“Questioning ministers and other means available for lawmakers is a constitutional right and can be used as per their own discretion,” Al Ganem said. The current 50-seat parliament was elected in November last year following the dissolution of the previous legislative assembly in October.
Only six elected parliaments lasted their full terms, while nine were dissolved since constitutional life began in the country in 1962.
The three latest dissolutions were in 2011, 2012 and 2016. The seventh dissolution, on December 6, 2011, was after a severe political crisis that “stalled achievements and threatened the country’s higher interests”.
The eighth dissolution was on October 7, 2012 as a consequence of the failure of the lawmakers to show up at the sessions and reach the required quorum.
The ninth parliament to be dissolved in October 2016 was elected in July 2013. The dissolution was to “allow people to elect representatives who would deal with delicate regional developments and the dangers of security challenges”.