Another fresh and unusual political crisis is brewing in one of the wealthiest and most stable Arab states.
Kuwait's cabinet has resigned in order to avoid having to answer certain questions from parliament, according to Reuters.

The ministers submitted the resignation to the prime minister, who will refer it to the emir, a parliamentary source told Reuters.

Reportedly, lawmakers (who are seeking to speed up economic reforms) wanted to question three ministers – all of whom are members of the ruling al-Sabah family – over allegations, including corruption and failure to perform duty.

For example, liberal MPs Adel al-Saraawi and Marzouk al-Ghanem last week filed a petition to interrogate Kuwait's deputy premier for economic affairs, Sheikh Ahmad Fahad al-Sabah, over allegations of corruption related to contracts worth $871 million.

Also, earlier in the week, Shia MP Faisal al-Duwaisan filed to question Oil Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Sabah. Still another Sjia MP, Saleh Ashour, wanted to grill Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah.

Specifically, Ashour, an opposition lawmaker wanted to question the foreign minister because he had “failed to safeguard the integrity and interests of the country in the face of insults from Bahrain,” according to the Kuwait Times.

Ashour alleged that Bahrain state televiosn made some highly offensive statements against a number of Kuwaiti Shia families, including his own.

Reportedly, the ruler of the kingdom, His Highness Amir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, will reappoint Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah in order to form a new cabinet.

The prime minister is the emir’s nephew and the opposition would like to remove him from power.

During al-Mohammad al-Sabah’s five-year tenure as prime minister, Kuwait has already dissolved three parliaments.

According to media reports, Kuwait's parliament is unusually outspoken by Middle East standards, and their behavior have led to other cabinet resignations and reshufflings in the past. In this highly conservative country, questioning ministers is viewed as an affront and a personal challenge to the man and a breach of their honor; and it ultimately, represents a challenge to the emir.

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