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Kuwait faces political gridlock after the government resigned to thwart attempts by parliamentarians to extract more generous benefits from ministers.

Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah, the oil-rich state’s prime minister, presented his resignation to Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who has taken over most duties from the ailing emir, the state news agency reported late Monday.

Kuwait’s political system, the most democratic among the authoritarian Gulf monarchies, has been in a series of crises for decades, undermining efforts to introduce reforms, attract inward investment and boost development, its critics say.

The government has been trying to enact unpopular fiscal reforms amid soaring oil prices, prompting lawmakers to press for more generous terms.

Opposition lawmakers, who made gains in the last election in October, have proposed a debt relief bill that would see the government buy back loans owed by citizens, as well as calls for higher salaries.

Kuwait has been seeking to strengthen public finances by seeking parliamentary approval to be able to borrow on international markets. The oil-dependent country is reaping the benefit of higher crude prices, but its coffers were running low only two years ago.

Gridlock has become a common feature of Kuwait’s democracy, in which the ruling family holds sway, but elected lawmakers are able to hold ministers to account and delay legislation. Political parties remain banned.