Story highlights
NEW: Prime minister accuses some members of Parliament of sowing disunity
Prime minister says some members of Parliament made progress impossible
Protesters have demanded his resignation
The emir of Kuwait has accepted the resignation of the Cabinet and the prime minister and asked them to stay as a caretaker government until a new government is formed, state-run news agency KUNA said Monday.
The decision comes less than two weeks after anti-corruption protesters forced their way inside Parliament in Kuwait City, pushing for the prime minister’s ouster.
Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah has had six previous governments brought down by opposition elements over the years. The new wave of protests pushed not just for the downfall of his government but for the prime minister himself to step down.
Many protests chanted that they want to “overthrow” him, using iconic slogans of the Arab Spring.
While Kuwait’s leaders worked to quell the protests, opposition leaders vowed their efforts would escalate.
In a letter to the emir announcing his resignation, the prime minister said “negative practices” of a minority of members of Parliament made progress impossible, according to KUNA.
He accused the parliamentarians of promoting disunity, doubting the integrity of the country’s leaders and fabricating unfounded accusations.
“Therefore, under these circumstances, it has become impossible for the government to pursue shouldering its responsibilities and fulfilling duties,” he wrote, according to KUNA.
