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Kuwait ruler, longtime diplomat Sheikh Sabah, dies at age 91

2020-09-30

Let's see how this shakes out
[AYPEE] Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the ruler of Kuwait who drew on his decades as the oil-rich nation’s top diplomat to push for closer ties to Iraq after the 1990 Gulf War and solutions to other regional crises, died Tuesday. He was 91.In a Middle East replete with elderly rulers, Sheikh Sabah stood out for his efforts at pushing for diplomacy to resolve a bitter dispute between Qatar
Qatar

...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
and other Arab nations that continues to this day.

His 2006 ascension in Kuwait, a staunch U.S. ally since the American-led war that expelled occupying Iraqi troops, came after parliament voted unanimously to oust his predecessor, the ailing Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, just nine days into his rule.

Yet as Kuwait’s ruling emir, he struggled with internal political disputes, the fallout of the 2011 Arab Spring protests and seesawing crude oil prices that chewed into a national budget providing cradle-to-grave subsidies.

"He represents the older generation of Gulf leaders who valued discretion and moderation and the importance of personal ties amongst fellow monarchs," said Kristin Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington who studies Kuwait. "No question he has suffered from the lack of deference and respect shown by the younger and more brash young princes holding power today."

State television announced his death after playing Koranic prayers, with Royal Court Minister Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al Sabah reading a brief statement, his hands shaking.

"With great sadness and sorrow, the Kuwaiti people, the Arab and Islamic nations, and the friendly peoples of the world mourn the death of the late His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, emir of the state of Kuwait who moved to the realm of the Lord," the sheikh said, without offering a cause of death.

Courtesy of Frank G, ZeroHedge adds:

In the past, 83-year-old Crown Prince Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, an elder statesman and the deceased emir’s half-brother, has been appointed acting ruler when the Sheikh was indisposed, as per the country’s constitutional law. Sheikh Nawaf has held high office for decades, including top positions. As ruler, his brother pushed a policy of diplomacy to solve regional problems, while also leading the 2017 boycott of Qatar by members of the GCC.

And 3dc gives us Peter Zeihan and the Wall Street Journal in one efficient tweet:

Kuwait will now go through something similar to the Saudi succession struggles of the 2000s. I don't think it'll be nearly as cloak and dagger, as the Kuwaiti royal family is so much smaller. https://t.co/Eioppevtja
— Peter Zeihan (@PeterZeihan) September 29, 2020

Link

Arabia

Trump Gives Award to Kuwait's Ruling Emir

2020-09-19

[USNews] WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has bestowed a top U.S. honor on Kuwait's ruling emir, who has played a central role in resolving a yearslong four-nation boycott of Qatar and is now ill and receiving treatment in the U.S., the White House said Friday.

Trump awarded the Legion of Merit to Kuwait’s Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who, along with Oman, has sought dialog to end the dispute that has torn apart the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been part of the boycott that’s targeted fellow GCC member Qatar since June 2017. Egypt also joined the boycott, which saw nations close their airspace and borders to Qatar.

"A leader in the Middle East for decades, the emir has been a truly unwavering friend and partner to the United States," the White House said in a statement. "The emir is also an unparalleled diplomat, having served as his nation’s foreign minister for 40 years. His tireless mediation of disputes in the Middle East has bridged divides under the most challenging circumstances."

The Legion of Merit is a rarely awarded decoration that can only be bestowed by the president, typically to chiefs of state or heads of government of other countries. The honor was last awarded in 1991.

The emir’s eldest son, Sheikh Nasser bin Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah of the State of Kuwait, was to accept the award on behalf of the emir in a private ceremony.

In July, Sheikh Sabah flew across the world in a U.S. Air Force C-17 flying hospital, just days after undergoing an unspecified surgery at home. The dramatic airlift to the Mayo Clinic reflected the close ties between the two nations but also raised concerns over the ruler’s medical condition. The clinic declined to discuss his condition on Friday.

Link

Arabia

Kuwait’s ruler, 90, in US hospital; cancels Trump visit

2019-09-10

[DAWN] Kuwait’s 90-year-old ruling emir has cancelled a visit on Thursday with President Donald Trump

...Oh, noze! Not him!...
at the White House after being admitted to a US hospital following an earlier health scare last month.

Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah will undergo unspecified tests during his hospitalisation, the state-run Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) reported late Sunday, without elaborating.

It quoted Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al Sabah, the minister of the emir’s diwan council, as saying Sheikh Sabah would reschedule his visit with Trump.

"Sheikh Ali prayed to Allah the Almighty to bestow His Highness the Emir with good health," Kuna said.

A White House statement said Trump was aware of the emir being hospitalised.

"The president wishes his friend, the Emir, a speedy recovery and looks forward to welcoming him back to Washington as soon as he is feeling better," the statement said. "The Emir is a well-respected leader and has been a tremendous partner of the United States in tackling challenges in the region."

On August 18, Kuwait acknowledged the emir suffered an unspecified medical "setback".

That came after visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter that he was "praying for emir’s speedy recovery".

Link

Iraq

Additional Kuwait conference pledges for Iraq reconstruction

2018-02-15

Pledging money is easy. But history shows taking delivery is much harder.

More after this report from a few days ago.

Abadi: Iraq has five million IDPs, refugees from Syria, 50% repatriated

Kuwait (IraqiNews.com) Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has said that Iraq has five million internally displaced persons, in addition to refugees from Syria. More than half of them were repatriated.

During his speech at the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq on Wednesday, Abadi said, “there are more than five million internally displaced persons in Iraq. There are also refugees from Syria. The government managed to repatriate more than half of them at their regions.”

Earlier today, the Migration and Displacement Ministry said three million refugees were returned back to their liberated regions in provinces of Anbar, Salahuddin and Nineveh except for Mosul’s Old City as most of the houses were destroyed during the offensives.

Kuwait pledges $2 billion in loans, investment for Iraq reconstruction

Kuwait (Iraqinews.com) – Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has pledged $1 billion in loans and $1 billion in direct investments to help rebuild Iraq, KUNA reported.

The Kuwaiti emir made the pledge during the official inauguration of the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI) on Wednesday.

The $2 billion will be channeled into reconstructing and rebuilding Iraq, which announced victory over the Islamic State group last December.

The Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq kicked off Monday with the participation of several donor countries and a group of regional and international institutions.

The gathering aims at garnering necessary support for the reconstruction of Iraq following a great victory achieved over Islamic State group.

The three-day conference is co-chaired by the European Union, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Nations and the World Bank.

EU to set 300 mn euros for Iraq development aid: ambassador

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The European Union plans to earmark 300 million euros for the support of development projects in Iraq, the Iraqi ambassador to Brussels was quoted saying.

Speaking to state-run newspaper al-Sabaah, Jawad al-Hindawi said EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, will declare Wednesday “a strategic support for Iraq worth 300 million euros”.

She will make the announcement during her address before the Iraqi reconstruction donors conference hosted by Kuwait, he explained.

Hindawi explained that the package had been approved by the European Commission and the foreign policy council, but is awaiting approval from the European Parliament.

The ambassador said an estimated USD1 billion could be added to that number for the next three years.

Hindawi added that the expected EU package is separate from what is to be provided by each European country individually.

Since 2015, Hindawi said, the European Union provided Iraq with 575 million euros for development, humanitarian, security and political assistance.

At least 70 countries are taking part in the conference through which Iraq hopes to rehabilitate its war-ravaged economy and infrastructure with at least USD100 billion.

U.S., Iraq sign USD3 bn memo for transport projects

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The United States and Iraq signed on Tuesday a memorandum by which the latter receives USD3 billion in financial aid for transportation and other reconstruction-related projects.

The declaration, quoted by Sputnik news agency, was made by U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson during a conference of donors to Iraq reconstruction which began in Kuwait on Monday.

Tillerson said the memo, signed by U.S. bank Exim and the Iraqi finance ministry, provides for USD3 billion for transport and other projects in Iraq.

He said U.S. firms had previously signed a deal worth USD2 billion for the Iraqi electricity sector, adding that another project worth USD350 million would see works starting soon.

U.S. pledges further $200 million in support of Iraq, Syria

Kuwait (Iraqinews.com) – U.S. Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson has pledged another $200 million to restore security in Iraq and Syria following the defeat of Islamic State there.

Speaking at an anti-Islamic State coalition ministerial meeting, which kicked off in Kuwait early on Tuesday, Tillerson stressed the importance of providing necessary support for attaining stability in the two countries.

So far, 95 percent of Iraqi and Syrian territories have been liberated from the Islamic State group, Baghdad Today news website quoted the top U.S. diplomat as saying.

He also stressed his country’s support for efforts exerted by the U.S.-led anti-IS international coalition to support Iraq’s stability and reconstruction.

Tillerson further warned that IS might turn into a rebel movement in Libya, Afghanistan and the Philippines.

The meeting involving the 74-member alliance is part of efforts to up the fight against terrorism and examine a strategy the coalition has concocted in its battle against IS.

It will be divided into two sessions, with the first tackling the fight against IS and the second examining anti-terrorism efforts.

The meeting is also part of a series of international conferences that took place in order to build a formal coalition to destroy the IS, which had taken over large portions of Syria and Iraq in 2014.

French FM urges incorporation of Kurdistan in reconstruction plan of Iraq

Kuwait (Iraqinews.com) – French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stressed on Wednesday that the reconstruction plan of Iraq should cover all Iraqi provinces and regions, notably the Kurdistan Region.

According to Basnews website, Le Drian called on donor countries taking part in the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI) to incorporate the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region in the reconstruction plan of Iraq, saying that Erbil has made great sacrifices and shouldered a heavy burden over the past period.

He also stressed the importance of ending a dispute between Baghdad and Erbil, which erupted following a referendum the Kurdistan Region held in September for independence from Iraq.

Le Drian pointed out that it is the time now to reconstruct all villages, towns and regions that were targeted by the Islamic State group or remained marginalized throughout the Iraqi history.

Kurdish airport denies reports of partial lift of Iraqi embargo

Sulaimaniyah (IraqiNews.com) Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimaniyah Airport has denied reports that the central government in Baghdad had partially lifted an embargo it had it had imposed on flights to and from the facility.

In a statement on Tuesday, the airport’s press service said it had not yet received any response from the Iraqi government regarding the lifting of the embargo.

Some media outlets had circulated a government bulletin telling that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had approved flight exceptions for Kurds eager to perform Islamic “Umra” pilgrimage (performed in the holy lands in Saudi Arabia).

The Baghdad-based Iraqi government had imposed an embargo on flights on Kurdistan’s Sulaimaniyah and Erbil airports following a vote for independence the autonomous region’s government ran in September, which Baghdad deemed illegal.

Recent reports have pointed to imminent talks between both governments to resolve pending disputes over the administration of the region’s airports as well as other contentious subjects.

As part of talks to end the crisis, Baghdad has asked to hand over management of the airports to its central aviation authorities.

In January, Shafaq News quoted Taher Abdullah, Sulaimaniyah Airport chief, saying that passengers numbers at the terminal declined by 86% after the embargo. He said that the airport had used to record the arrival of 50.000 per month before the embargo, which declined after the measure to 6000-7000 per month.

Link

Arabia

Qatar FM in Kuwait to respond to demands

2017-07-04

[Al Jazeera] Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates...
has delivered its response to a list of 13 demands from Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
and three other Arab countries that cut have ties with it and imposed a land, air and sea embargo amid a major diplomatic crisis.

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar's foreign minister, was received by Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah on Monday to hand over a letter from Qatar's emir, according to state-run Kuwait News Agency.

Kuwait is mediating in the dispute. The content of the letter has not been released.

Qatar's response will be the focus of a gathering in the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Wednesday of foreign ministers from the four blockading countries: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Al Jazeera's Saad al-Saeedi, reporting from Kuwait City, said there was "a sense of relief, tinged with caution" in Kuwait.

"Qatar's response to the demands was handed to the emir, followed by an extensive meeting between the Qatari foreign minister and his Kuwaiti counterpart for more than one and half hours. After that, the Qatari foreign minister headed to the emir of Kuwait's residence to attend another meeting over lunch before his departure," he said.

Link

Africa North

Egypt's president denounces terrorism

2015-06-27

[Al Ahram] Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed in a phone call to the emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabahand and to Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi the necessity of combating extremism following terrorist attacks that killed dozens in their countries on Friday, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

El-Sisi condemned the terrorist attacks that killed 25 people in a suicide kaboom targeting a Shia Moslem mosque in Kuwait and the other attack that killed at least 27 people, including foreigners, in a mass shooting at a Tunisian beach resort.

The Egyptian president renounced all forms of violence and terrorism including that which targets economic interests with the ambition of destabilising the Arab region.

He also extended his condolences to the leaders of the two countries for the people who died in the attacks.

Earlier, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry condemned as "vile" three separate myrmidon attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and La Belle France on Friday that killed dozens of people.

Spokesperson to the Egyptian presidency Alaa Youssef said in a statement that Egypt will make all the necessary efforts to combat "terrorism and extremism" that have not only threatened the security of Tunisia and Kuwait but also of the whole region.

Link

Arabia

Kuwait ex-MP held over Iran tweet

2015-05-03

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait on Friday arrested a former opposition lawmaker for alleging Iran was pressuring the emirate to change the crown prince, the government and relatives said.
The Interior Ministry said Waleed Al-Tabtabai had been “arrested on the orders of the public prosecution for spreading false news about the internal situation and undermining the status of the crown prince on social media.”

The former lawmaker, a long-time critic of the Islamic republic, would now be referred to prosecutors for questioning, it added.
In comments posted Thursday on Twitter, Tabtabai wrote that Iran had been putting pressure on Kuwait to replace Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, 76, with a new heir who has strong relations with Tehran.

He said he hoped the attempts would fail.

Under the Kuwaiti constitution, the crown prince is proposed by the emir and approved by Parliament. Sheikh Nawaf, half brother of Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, was appointed to the post in 2006.
Tabtabai’s brother Anwar said the ex-lawmaker was arrested by secret service police.

Link

Arabia

Coalition 'not seeking a war'

2015-04-08

[ARABNEWS] The Council of Ministers on Monday said that the Saudi-led operation in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
has the support of Yemenis in the Kingdom and the international community because it seeks to restore the legitimate government and bring peace and stability to that war-torn nation.

The weekly meeting was chaired by King of the Arabians, Sheikh of the Burning Sands, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman
...either the largest species of Pacific salmon or the current Sheikh of the Burnin' Sands, Cutodian of the Two Holy Mosquesand Lord of Most of the Arabians....
at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh.

It noted the heroic efforts of the coalition forces in neutralizing the military capacity of the Houthi myrmidons, said Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Toraifi.

Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
appreciates the support of the Yemeni community for Operation Decisive Storm.

The ministers said the coalition does not seek a war but wants to protect the Yemeni people.

This is why the operation has been hailed by Arab and Islamic nations, and the wide international community, said Al-Toraifi.

The Cabinet also expressed hope that the nuclear framework agreement struck with Iran in Lausanne, Switzerland
...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
, recently would ensure the safety and security of the region.

It said the Kingdom and the Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
support nations wanting to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in line with the standards and procedures of the ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency.

The aim would be to create a region free of all weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, said Al-Toraifi.

The Cabinet stressed that the security in the region requires a commitment to the principles of good neighborliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries.

The ministers also welcomed the announcement of the

International Criminal Court
... where Milosevich died of old age before being convicted ...
(ICC) that it formally accepted the State of Paleostine as a full member.

They believe that Paleostine's accession to the ICC would help restore the rights of the Paleostinians.

According to Al-Toraifi, the Council of Ministers again called on the international community to end the "Syrian tragedy which has become a humanitarian catastrophe."

The meeting was inaugurated by Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, emir of Kuwait, who said the Kingdom has spared no effort in providing assistance to Syrian refugees. He said Saudi aid to the Syrian people since 2011 has exceeded $600 million.

Link

Arabia

Kuwait pledges $500 mn in Syria humanitarian aid

2015-04-01

[Gulf News] Kuwait City: Kuwait's emir announced Tuesday $500 million to help alleviate war-torn Syria's humanitarian crisis, which he called the worst in "modern history."

Stressing the gravity of the situation, the UN chief

the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan...
told participants at a Tuesday meeting to raise $8.4 billion (7.9 billion euros) this year for Syrian aid efforts, that four out of five Syrians are living in poverty.

"I am pleased to announce the pledging of $500 million from Kuwait's government and private sectors to support the humanitarian efforts in Syria," Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah said as he opened the conference.

"We are meeting here to face the biggest humanitarian catastrophe in the modern history of mankind," the emir said, calling on global powers to find a political solution to a civil war now in its fifth year.

He urged the UN Security Council, especially the five permanent members, to "abandon differences and find a political solution to the destructive conflict".

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

UN warns of Syria 'catastrophe' as NGOs pledge donations

2015-03-31

[ARABNEWS] A UN envoy warned Monday of a "horrifying" humanitarian situation brewing in Syria as non-governmental organizations pledged more than $480 million for refugees on the eve of a major donor conference.

The United Nations
...a formerly good idea gone bad...
aims to raise $8.4 billion at the Syria donor meeting, which starts on Tuesday in Kuwait.

"Failing to meet the required funds risks resulting in a horrifying and dangerous humanitarian catastrophe," Abdullah al-Maatuq, UN special envoy for humanitarian affairs, told a meeting of NGOs.

Among the aid groups which gathered on Monday, ~~The Sick Man of Europe~~ Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
's IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation made the largest pledge of $100 million. Other donors included Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates...
's Red Islamic Thingy Society and Kuwait's International Islamic Charity Organization.

UN humanitarian affairs chief Valerie Amos said the donor response at Tuesday's conference "needs to be comprehensive."

She said that the humanitarian situation had deteriorated in Syria with no reduction in violence and children particularly affected.

The aid is urgently required to provide life-saving assistance to half of Syria's population as several UN aid agencies have said they remain underfunded and warned they could halt or downsize their operations.

The Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference to be held on Tuesday will be chaired by UN Secretary General

the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan...
and will be opened by Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

At the first and second conferences, also hosted by Kuwait, pledges of $1.5 billion and $2.4 billion were made, but the United Nations has complained that not all pledges were honoured.

In a report on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Syria released last week, Ban said devastation from the fighting had left around 7.6 million people internally displaced.

Another 3.9 million people have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.

"Every day brings more death, displacement and destruction," the UN report said.

Link

Arabia

Kuwait's emir rebukes opposition at parliament opening

2012-12-17

[Al Ahram] Kuwait's emir criticised the opposition for stirring "chaos" on Sunday as activists demonstrated outside parliament during a speech in which he opened the newly elected assembly.

All "condemn these practices and the actions that breached the law, norms and values, worried citizens and caused chaos," said Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in clear reference to opposition demonstrations.

The emir also praised the security forces for handling the protests with "patience and wisdom."

The session was held under tight security with coppers, special forces and national guard units backed by armoured vehicles stationed around the parliament building.

Police cordoned off a square opposite the assembly where the opposition planned to protest against the opening, but a small number of activists still managed to get close to the area.

They left the site for a square outside the nearby Palace of Justice when special forces were called in ahead of the emir's arrival. Police incarcerated
... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not...
two protesters.

On the eve of the inauguration, hundreds of opposition activists staged a night time sit-in in Kuwait City to demand the dissolution of the new parliament.

Braving unusually cold weather, the activists camped out overnight before leaving of their own will in the morning. Several then headed to the parliament building before police drove them away.

Link

Arabia

Kuwaiti govt calls for Parliament dissolution

2012-10-04

But I think we all saw this coming...

KUWAIT: Kuwaits Cabinet has asked the countrys ruler to consider dissolving Parliament, state news agency KUNA reported yesterday, in a widely expected bid to clear the way for a new election and end months of political deadlock.

Kuwait has been unable to hold a parliamentary session for several months after its Constitutional Court effectively dissolved the opposition-dominated assembly which was elected in February, basing its decision on a technicality.

The ruling in June reinstated the previous Parliament, originally elected in 2009 and which contained more government supporters, but the body has not been able to convene due to a boycott by lawmakers.

A draft decree to dissolve the 2009 parliament was submitted to the emir ... because it was not possible to hold sessions of the National Assembly due to a lack of quorum, Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah said, according to KUNA.

The 2009 pro-government Parliament was dissolved in December after youth-led street protests and allegations of corruption against some of its members but was reinstated by the constitutional court in a June 20 ruling.

Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah is expected to issue a decree dissolving Parliament today which would pave the way to hold fresh elections within 60 days, according to the constitution.

Link

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