Kuwait's Escalating Power Struggle

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah on June 18 suspended the country's parliament, the Majlis al Umma, for a month, one day before Kuwait's interior minister was due to appear before parliament for a contentious questioning session. The suspension is the latest escalation in a long-running power struggle between parliament and the ruling al-Sabah family — and between factions of the ruling family — over control of the country.

Neither an absolute monarchy like Saudi Arabia's al-Saud family nor a constitutional monarchy of the type common in Europe, the al-Sabah family wields overwhelming power in Kuwait's affairs of state. However, divisions between branches of the family as well as the opposition movement's push for political reforms to limit the family's influence have paralyzed the country's governing institutions.

Numerous Cabinet resignations and reshuffles, politically motivated investigations and the dissolution of parliament three times over the last six years (plus a fourth suspension that was procedural) have prevented much-needed progress on economic, infrastructure and energy projects. With parliament unlikely to reconvene before October, the pressure on the al-Sabah regime may be temporarily reduced, but the suspension of parliament will do nothing to resolve the underlying conflicts.