The oil-producing state has tolerated criticism of its government to a degree rare among its Gulf neighbors, helping to insulate it from the protest-driven political tumult that has helped topple four Arab leaders.
But tensions rose dramatically this month when opposition lawmakers and protesters stormed parliament to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah.
“The government has submitted its resignation to the emir,” one member of parliament told Reuters. The opposition was due to hold a protest outside the parliament building later on Monday.
It was not clear however if the resignation had been accepted by the ruling emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who could also dissolve parliament and set a date for an early vote.
Parliamentary sources said if the resignation were accepted, it could take up to three months to form a new government. During that time parliament sessions would be suspended.
The parliament speaker told reporters after a meeting with the emir and members of the cabinet that he had not been informed of any decision to dissolve the assembly.
The storming of parliament followed a request filed by a group of MPs to question Sheikh Nasser, which was blocked by the cabinet in a move decried as unconstitutional by the opposition.
Outspoken opposition MPs warned that if Sheikh Nasser did not take to the questioning stand on Nov. 29, they would escalate their campaign against him.
The emir last week said he would not allow his PM to resign or dissolve the elected parliament, denouncing as a “black day” the storming of the assembly.
At least 45 people were arrested over the incident.
Since Sheikh Nasser became prime minister in 2006, seven cabinets have been re-jigged and three times the emir has been pushed to dissolve parliament and call early elections.
The previous cabinet resigned in March to avoid parliamentary questioning of three ministers, the main weapon the elected body has against the government.
