A group of MPs in Kuwait’s legislature has gained enough support to bring a vote of no confidence motion against Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Ahmad al-Sabah.

A group of 20 MPs that have stood in opposition to the prime minister for some time appear to have attracted the support of the liberal five-MP National Action Bloc and independent MP Hassan Jowhar.

This would give the opposition group one more vote than the required 25 votes needed to launch a “grilling” campaign against the incumbent and call for a vote of no confidence.

While the National Action Bloc was initially hesitant to join the opposition group in their bid to unseat the prime minister, they have now made it clear that they are in favour of the motion and are prepared to “go to the end”.

The events this week in the National Assembly will remind Kuwaitis of a similar threat to the prime minister in June. Sheikh Nasser survived a no-confidence vote in the parliament, which was then followed by a new grilling request immediately afterwards.