The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Kuwait

Kuwait's cabinet walked out of parliament Tuesday to prevent lawmakers from questioning the prime minister, a move that threatens further delay to key economy reforms and may lead to the dissolution of the assembly.

Speaker Jassim al-Kharafi said parliament would not meet on Wednesday either because the government refused to attend.

The impasse jeopardizes key economic reforms such as a plan to set up a financial regulator and recent measures to tackle the impact of the global financial crisis by pumping cash into the Arab world's second-largest bourse.