Kuwait's crown prince on Wednesday dissolved parliament and called for early elections, AP reported.

In a televised address to the nation, 81-year-old Sheikh Mishaal al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah said that while the ruling family respects Kuwait's constitution, which gives the country's parliament more power than anywhere else in the Persian Gulf sheikdom region, popular discontent with deepening dysfunction has forced the emir to step in.

“Our goal with this constitutional solution is the firm and sincere desire for the people themselves to have the final say in the process of correcting the political course anew by choosing who represents the right choice," said Sheikh Meshal.

A date for the legislative elections has not yet been announced.

The country's cabinet resigned more than two months ago over disagreements with parliament, leading to a prolonged paralysis. Last week, more than a dozen Kuwaiti lawmakers began a sit-in in the parliamentary chamber to press for the formation of a new government and to express their opposition to the worsening political crisis.

The struggle has left many Kuwaitis deeply disillusioned with the 50-member elected legislature. Parliament has the power to pass and block laws, question ministers, and pass motions of no confidence in high-ranking officials. The final authority, however, rests with the ruling emir.

Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, appeared briefly on state television on Wednesday to say that he had authorized his successor to deliver a national address.