Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, has blocked a proposal by 31 of the 50 elected members of parliament to amend the constitution to make all legislation comply with Islamic law. His approval is needed for any constitutional change. Mohammad al-Dallal, an Islamist MP and legal expert, said,"His highness the emir is not in favor," adding that the proposal was put forward by the Islamic Justice Bloc and signed by 31 lawmakers.
Political parties are banned in Kuwait so MPs have to rely on forming blocs in parliament. The 15-member cabinet selected by the prime minister can also vote in parliament.
Dallal said, "Our society is a conservative society, a lot of people request that laws comply with sharia (Islamic law). We also do not have a stable political system," he said, saying such an amendment could help make lawmaking less chaotic.
Islamist MPs have proposed amending the constitution in this way several times in the past. This time, they asked to change article 79 to make sharia "the only source" of legislation rather than a major or main source as it is now.