Kuwait's Emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah returns home Tuesday to a new political crisis, triggered by the resignation of the entire Cabinet on Monday.
Under Kuwait's constitution, the emir - who has the last say in politics - faces two choices. He can either accept the resignation and ask the current or a new prime minister to form a new Cabinet. Or, he can dissolve parliament and call new elections within two months.
The current Cabinet has been in place less than a year.
Deputies had been due to vote on a new law Tuesday - opposed by the government -- to raise salaries of Kuwaitis by roughly $200 a month. But parliamentary speaker Jasim al-Kharafi called off the session after pro-government ministers said they would not attend.
Kuwait's government has been locked in a political battle with parliament, paralyzing political life in the Gulf Arab country for much of the past year.
The Emir is due back in Kuwait late Tuesday after a private trip abroad that he was forced to cut short because of the crisis.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
