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Kuwaiti parliament sessions suspended after government resigns

Arab World Materials 29 November 2011 15:47 (UTC +04:00)
Parliamentary sessions in Kuwait have been suspended until a new government is formed
Kuwaiti parliament sessions suspended after government resigns

Parliamentary sessions in Kuwait have been suspended until a new government is formed, the speaker of the National Assembly said Tuesday, after the resignation of the government, dpa reported.

Jassem al-Kharafi said the parliament would only meet pending the "formation of a new government," without giving any timetable, the official KUNA news agency reported.

Kuwait's emir, Sabah Al Ahmad, accepted the resignation of the cabinet on Monday, but asked its members to remain in office as a caretaker government.

Prime minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah and the cabinet - mainly members of the ruling family - resigned to avoid questioning from the opposition on corruption allegations.

Sheikh Nasser - a nephew of the emir - has survived three no-confidence votes before and has resigned several times to avoid questioning, but had been reappointed by the emir.

For the past few weeks, the standoff has intensified as the opposition, which includes a coalition of Islamists and liberals, have staged massive demonstrations demanding the resignation of Sheikh Nasser over corruption allegations.

The opposition demands that the prime minister is replaced.

Around two weeks ago, anti-government protesters stormed the parliament demanding the prime minister step down. Kuwaiti ruler Sabah al-Ahmad vowed stern measures to stave off "chaos" in the Arab Gulf country.

While the wealthy country has managed to avoid unrest spreading in the Arab world, tensions have been mounting in recent years over allegations that pro-government lawmakers are receiving bribes.

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