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Subscriptions help us deliver original coverage of the region's most important issues.The story: Kuwait’s Health Minister Bassel Al-Sabah has declared that the Covid-19 pandemic could last “until Judgment Day.” His declaration is sending shockwaves through Kuwait. Though Sabah claims that his remarks were intended to highlight the seriousness of the pandemic, they have unleashed a wave of anger.
The coverage: Social media users are circulating the hashtag #until_Judgment_Day in Arabic and slamming the minister for his controversial statement. The renowned Kuwaiti journalist and TV personality Fajer Al-Saeed tweeted on Feb. 16, “Is this a statement befitting of a minister?”. Meanwhile, Ali Al-Zuabi, doctor of anthropology at Kuwait University, tweeted that “he [the minister] is ignoring all the studies which anticipate Covid-19 would dwindle as SARS, Ebola, and others did…it would’ve been better if the minister had stayed silent.”
Kuwaiti social media influencer Mishari Buyabis tagged the minister in a tweet saying, “Believe it or not, I’d put up with Covid-19 until Judgment Day…but can’t put up with you as minister until next Saturday.”
In response, the minister clarified to Kuwait’s Al-Rai newspaper on Feb.16 that his intent was not to “instigate fear among citizens, but rather to highlight the reality of the matter.”
On Feb. 17, local outlet Al-Qabas reported that the country’s emir had met with the health minister and supported him by lauding the efforts of healthcare personnel in “confronting the pandemic despite all dangers.”
The news also caught the attention of regional media. The Dubai-based Gulf Business published an article about Sabah’s comments on Feb. 17, highlighting the prospect of tougher restrictions in case Kuwaitis fail to adhere to mandated precautionary measures.
The context/analysis: Since the start of the pandemic, Kuwait has recorded 180,505 cases of Covid-19, with over 1,000 deaths from the virus. In recent weeks, a worrying number of infections from new variants of Covid-19 have been recorded among Kuwaitis returning from the UK. Currently, the majority of those infected with Covid-19 in the country are between the ages of 18 and 40, a factor which, to date, has limited the number of deaths and hospital admissions.
However, this trend is now changing. Speaking at the National Assembly—the country’s Parliament—on Feb. 16, Prime Minister Sabah Al-Khaled warned about the prospect of intensive care unit (ICU) beds running out. In an article published in Qabas on Feb. 6, government sources noted that ICU occupancy rates in local hospitals have already “increased from 9% to 15%.” This is because Covid-19 appears to now be spreading more among older age groups, making hospitalizations more frequent.
As discussed previously on Amwaj.media, Kuwait is still facing a domestic political crisis following its parliamentary elections last December. The crisis is characterized by frequent standoffs between the country’s cabinet and lawmakers. Under the current circumstances, decision making is thus often paralyzed. As a consequence, Kuwait's emir adjourned the National Assembly for one month, effectively suspending the current session of parliament and temporarily halting the questioning of government ministers by MPs.
The future: Looking ahead, Kuwait will likely be forced to impose more restrictions to contain the spread of Covid-19 and avoid the collapse of its healthcare system. In this context, the decision to adjourn the National Assembly could prevent the questioning and potential removal of the health minister, who has grown increasingly unpopular and come under scrutiny following his controversial comments. Of note, Interior Minister Thamer Ali Sabah Al-Sabah was also scheduled to be questioned by MPs.
There are two main possible outcomes to a resolution of Kuwait’s institutional crisis. First, while parliamentary sessions are adjourned, the government could be forced into a substantial reshuffle—potentially resulting in the removal of its most unpopular ministers. This would put the government in a better position to negotiate with legislators once the suspension ends. On the other hand, Kuwait’s emir could decide to dissolve parliament and call for new elections. This happened in 2012, when the National Assembly was dissolved shortly after being suspended.