https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/3/kuwait-swears-in-new-government-amid-mounting-crises
Kuwait’s new Cabinet was sworn in Wednesday weeks after the government quit amid a deepening deadlock with the parliament that has blocked badly needed reforms in the tiny oil-rich Gulf Arab state. Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah swapped out four ministers whose selections had angered various lawmakers for less contentious, veteran politicians, an apparent gesture to appease parliament. The worsening rift between Kuwait’s emir-appointed government and elected parliament presents the first significant challenge to Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who ascended the throne last fall. The infighting has diminished public confidence, caused instability, and hastened the country’s worst debt crisis since the 1990 Iraqi invasion.
As Kuwait’s general reserve fund runs out of cash, lawmakers skeptical of deep-rooted corruption have prevented the government from borrowing as other Gulf states have done in response to the coronavirus pandemic and low crude prices. Kuwait stands out among the hereditary sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf for its rambunctious parliament and robust political debate, but parliament’s powers are strictly limited. Sheikh Nawaf suspended parliament last month until mid-March as tensions escalated over the Cabinet appointments. It remains to be seen how lawmakers view a dozen holdovers in the new Cabinet, but there were no immediate rebukes from parliamentary blocs. In particular, the appointment of a deputy prime minister well-respected among Kuwaiti opposition figures raises hope for better cooperation between the branches. The government turmoil comes as Kuwait’s coronavirus infections surge to previously unseen heights and the government grapples with a projected $40 billion budget deficit.
Hopefully, this plays out how it’s supposed to and the hostile relationship between Kuwait’s emir-appointed government and elected parliament will become better, so the two can be able to work together more efficiently. I only hope that the government’s extended arm of cooperation gets reciprocated because Kuwaitis are growing frustrated and it’s only so long until they will not put up with it anymore. Unifiying the government is a much needed start in solving the uncertainty of the government from many of Kuwait’s own citizens because the country is too small for this scale of problems.