KUWAIT CITY, Nov 27: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah is expected to dissolve the National Assembly and call a snap election Monday, sources close to the government said late Sunday evening.

The sources added that the Amir is expected on Monday to chair an emergency Cabinet meeting, which will also be attended by National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi, during which the Cabinet will resign. This, the sources said, would lead to Amir dissolving the Asembly and fresh elections being called.

These reports came after sources said that three Kuwaiti ministers were planning to quit in protest over the strained political situation.

“Health Minister Helal Al-Sayer, Justice and Social Affairs and Labour Minister Mohammad Al-Afasi and State Minister for Development Abdulwahab Al-Haroun plan to resign tomorrow (Monday),” said Al-Youm television, citing unnamed sources.

The channel, which backs the opposition, said the three had decided to step down in protest at the strained political situation and the treatment meted out to opposition activists.

Their resignation is expected to shake the 16-member Cabinet, Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s seventh in the past six years, and will lead to the resignation of the government, the channel said.

Political tensions have escalated sharply in OPEC’s third largest producer amid a campaign by opposition MPs to force Sheikh Nasser, a senior member of the Al-Sabah ruling family, to resign.
Kuwait’s public prosecutor on Sunday extended the detention of 24 opposition activists who stormed the parliament building on Nov 16 following clashes with riot police.

Opposition MPs are scheduled to question Sheikh Nasser in parliament on Tuesday over allegations of corruption.

Meanwhile, the Public Prosecution has released seven out of 31 activists detained for storming the Parliament building after a public rally turned violent on Nov 16.

According to a source, those who were released on bail of KD 1,000 each included Rashid Al-Faddalah, Dr Mishari Al-Mutairi, Fawaz Al-Bahar, Yousef Al-Shatti, Dr Ahmed Al-Zaydi, Ahmed Al-Otaibi and Fahad Al-Failakawi. He said the prosecution ordered the extension of the detention of 24 activists for 21 days pending investigation and they have been transferred from the General Criminal Investigations Department (GCID) to the Central Prison.

Meanwhile, the protestors in front of the Justice Palace expressed disappointment on the 21-day extension, describing the decision as “unjust and arbitrary”. They intend to continue the protest action until the release of all detained activists.

A number of lawmakers participated in the protest, including Ahmad Al-Saadoun, Faisal Al-Muslim, Jamaan Al-Harbash, Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, Musallam Al-Barrak, Khalid Al-Tahous, Falah Al-Sawagh, Salem Al-Namlan and Naji Al-Abdulhadi.

A source revealed the detained activists are on the first day of their hunger strike. He said former MP Fahad Al-Khanna is not feeling well because his blood pressure went up, while his nephew, Abdullah Al-Khanna, has contacted flu, because they sleep on the floor. He confirmed the two men were taken to Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital and returned to the GCID after the treatment.

On the other hand, former MP Abdullatif Al-Amiri holds the security authorities responsible for the deteriorating health condition of Fahad Al-Khanna as he was allegedly not given medicine while in detention.

MP Saleh Al-Mullah has warned against the maltreatment of the detained activists, affirming he is closely monitoring the issue in his capacity as chairman of the parliamentary Human Rights Committee.
MP Khalid Al-Sultan denounced the GCID for the purported inhumane treatment and abuse of the detained activists. He pointed out the security authorities have no right to harm these activists, especially since they are not criminals; they are just citizens infuriated by those keen on wreaking havoc in the country and misusing public money.

However, security sources denied allegations that the detainees have been maltreated, clarifying some of them were referred to the hospital as they felt weak and sick due to the hunger strike.
MP Musallam Al-Barrak asserted the detention of the activists could have legal implications, citing Article 69 of law number 17/196, which stipulates detention of an accused for not more than three weeks only if there are indications that he intends to escape or influence the course of investigation.

Al-Barrak clarified the provisional detention cannot be applied in situations not mentioned above, indicating it is not right to take this measure except in the above cases. “Otherwise, this is tantamount to abuse or misuse of power and will become a conviction before the court ruling takes place,” he added.
In a related development, a parliamentary source said the Ministry of Information has referred the owners of a television channel and a newspaper to the Public Prosecution for the erroneous reports on the Parliament break-in.

Moreover, Shiite MP Dr Hassan Jowhar announced his plan to present a grilling request against Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud after the session on the interpellation of HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Tuesday, to be followed by another request to grill Minister of Oil Dr Mohammad Al-Busairi.

Affirming support for Jowhar’s grilling requests, MP Naji Al-Abdulhadi asserted there is no other way out for the two ministers but to submit their resignation.

On the grilling of the premier, MP Dr Daifallah Buramiya said Sheikh Nasser has no option but to stand on the grilling podium. “We reject calls for holding the grilling session behind closed doors with the help of the fake parliamentary majority implicated in the multimillion deposit scam. The government should not play with fire by presenting a request to lift the immunity of some opposition MPs accused of inciting the Parliament building break-in to prevent them from pushing for a no-confidence motion against the prime minister.

National Action Bloc member MP Adel Al-Saraawi believes the prime minister must be grilled for the multimillion deposit scam and the questionable money transfers from his office. He said they will foil any attempt to delay the grilling, refer it to the Legislative Affairs Committee or cancel it, warning that any of these actions is considered a violation of the Constitution.

Political analysts said Kuwait, the first Gulf state to adopt a parliamentary system almost 50 years ago, faced an unprecedented collision between the government, led by the ruling royal family, and the opposition.

The activists were freed on bail of KD 1,000 ($3,600), Al-Humaidi al-Subaie, who heads the legal defence team of the activists, said in a statement.

Thousands of supporters, meanwhile, camped outside the courts for a fourth night in a row in solidarity with the detainees ahead of an opposition mass rally on Monday to press for the government’s resignation.

The decision to extend their detention pending trial was announced after an all-night investigation.
Subaie told AFP last week that the activists were interrogated on charges of storming parliament, damaging public property, assaulting police and other offenses for which they could face prison terms of between six months and life.

Protesters on Saturday night displayed a four-metre (yard) wooden gavel, saying it was to replace the original gavel which parliament officials accused activists of having stolen.

Hundreds of opposition activists stormed parliament on Nov    16 after clashes with riot police that followed a large protest demanding the resignation of the prime minister and dissolution of parliament.
HH the Amir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, called the incident a “black day” for Kuwait.
The detained activists include academics, doctors and writers. Several opposition MPs who led the storming of parliament are expected to be questioned after their immunity is lifted.

Among the detained are youth group leaders Mohammad al-Bulaihees, Tareq al-Mutairi and Hamad al-Olayan who have been pressing for a constitutional monarchy and elected government.
Around 20 of them went on hunger strike on Friday to protest against their “illegal and oppressive detention” as well as mistreatment. Some of them have since been released, legal sources said.
The opposition plans to stage a rally on Monday on the eve of a questioning in parliament of Sheikh Nasser over corruption charges.

All liberal, Islamists and nationalist opposition groups as well as around 20 student and youth organisations, and for the first time tribal chiefs, have urged people to join the protest.
“We are on the verge of a real collision,” between the government and an opposition demanding the resignation of the prime minister and dissolving parliament, said political analyst Dahem al-Qahtani.
“The least costly solution is to dissolve parliament and hold fresh polls,” Qahtani told AFP.
The opposition has accused Sheikh Nasser, a senior member of the ruling family, of transferring public funds into his overseas bank accounts. The government has denied the charge.

They also accuse him of political responsibility over a graft scandal involving around 15 pro-government MPs who have allegedly accepted bribes worth $350 million.
“Kuwait has never passed through a more difficult and explosive time than now. Someone has to quickly take an effective position. The country is headed to catastrophe,” former municipal council member Khalifa al-Khorafi warned on his Twitter.