KUWAIT CITY, Jan 31: Speaker of the Kuwait’s National Assembly Jassem Al-Khorafi has rejected double standards with regards to international concerns over Iran’s nuclear program and urged countries to resort to dialogue as means to resolve regional tensions. Speaking to the Arab Times, Al-Khorafi, while asserting that the sovereignty of all nations must be respected equally, stressed that Israel should give up its nuclear plans if the region is to be nuclear-free, as Israel is part of this region.
“I support every country’s right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,” he said. Al-Khorafi also called on the international community to collaborate in its war against terrorism. “There should be more concentration on coordinating to fight terrorism in all forms wherever it is,” he said.

On the local scene, Al-Khorafi deemed both the parliament and cabinet responsible for the lack of proper financial legislation to push forth development. Stating that consecutive governments had failed to submit developmental bills for the parliament to pass, Al-Khorafi said “there are also certain aspects where the democratic system we have could have been a hindrance in certain respects.” “Kuwait does not have a perfect democracy and it does have its ups and downs”, he said, yet “we should all concentrate on using this democracy in the right way.”

Following is the full transcript of the interview:

Q: Let’s start with the speech delivered by His Highness the Amir recently in which he stressed national unity amongst Kuwait’s different sects and tribes. Do you feel a speech of this magnitude taking into consideration conditions currently witnessed in Kuwait was essential?
A: Yes, I do believe it was necessary and it was an excellent gesture from HH the Amir that showed he was aware of what’s going on in Kuwait. I strongly believe that he has what he said at the right time and the best indication of the apt timing of this speech was the praises that it drew. Everyone commended HH the Amir’s interference at the right time to stop any threats to national unity.

Q: Following HH the Amir’s words, sectarian statements are still being made by lawmakers as well as by newspapers and TV media. Do you think the Amir’s speech has made any impact among the lawmakers, mainstream media and the public?
A: Yes, I have noticed gestures from editors of a number of newspapers who took the decision not to publish anything threatening and affecting national unity and which creates more disagreements. I hope such a positive attitude will continue, and I hope other newspapers would follow suit. The only way we can stop such talk from escalating is by not publishing it at all.

Q: So, are you with or against the proposed amendments in the media law?
A: The joke is we have not seen the amendments yet! So, we are discussing something that has not yet been tabled in the parliament.

Q: But a number of lawmakers as well as local media have been overly concerned about these amendments. From your point of view, do you believe it is best for newspapers to adhere to their self-imposed regulations or have a law that regulates their performance by naming strict punishments?
A: We do have a law now which I’m in full accord with. However, if there are any clauses in this that do not benefit Kuwait and the people of Kuwait, then definitely I would support amendments. However, I do not know what the amendments are, and what they include. I fully believe in the freedom of the press, but as I always say, freedom of the press should end when it affects somebody else’s freedom. The only way to do this is by having a law to regulate the situation.

Q: How do you see the performance of the four female lawmakers? I read numerous articles by columnists and have spoken to many citizens regarding the issue. They said they’re quite disappointed with the women lawmakers’ contribution in the parliament as they expected more from them. How do you see it?
A: I’m actually very proud of their work and energy in the parliament. I think they have been good examples of female parliamentarians, especially as they are very well-equipped, very well-educated and highly qualified. They are ideal examples of what women parliamentarians are supposed to be and I hope we benefit from their contribution.

Q: Kuwait was once known as the “Pearl of the Gulf” and was a pioneer in the region in many fields, and was leading the GCC states in several areas of human endeavor, including sports, arts and economy and others. But then there been this down slide, and Kuwait fell behind other GCC states which are now ahead of us. How do you explain this? What is the reason?
A: Let’s not exaggerate this downfall of Kuwait and actually look at the improvements other states have made. GCC states, for instance in sports, started taking care of their players and hiring better coaches and providing better facilities. Naturally this would upgrade them and now they’re on the same level as Kuwait. If they start beating us, it doesn’t mean we have fallen behind.

Q: But since you mentioned sports, Kuwait’s sporting bodies are in dilemma due to the conflicting legislation that fails to meet international requirements. This downfall or status quo can be true of all fields. Your response?
A: It’s true what you’re saying, and there are certain aspects where the legislation and the democratic system we have could have been a hindrance in certain respects. But we are proud of being a country of institutions, and we are proud that when there are disagreements between these institutions, we have a ruler to whom we go to for arbitration. If you ask me, if there is a need for bettering the relationships between these institutions, I would say yes.

Q: How can we achieve better relationship?
A: We can achieve it through having better communication between ministers, to enhance coordination between them and forge a correspondence within the cabinet itself. The coordination is always necessary and our coordination needs improvement.

Q: You mean between cabinet members?
A: Not only that, but also between institutions. As I said, we are a nation of institutions, yet we find conflicts between different ministries and different institutions. For example, recently someone was invited to Kuwait by an institution, and was given a visa to enter. Upon arrival at the airport, he was banned from entering by another institution. This is only a mere example, and the same lack of coordination can be seen in other aspects.
Most importantly, we are in dire need to improve coordination between institutions in the economic field.

Q: Talking about the local economy, Kuwait has been degraded by a number of international financial rating organizations which claim that the country lacks proper financial legislation to push forth development, such as the impeding legislation for the capital market law which got passed only recently despite being one of the parliament’s priorities for so long. Some blame the parliament for these inept laws. Do you agree?
A: No, I think they should blame us both... both the parliament and the cabinet. In defense of the parliament, consecutive governments did not submit any of these necessary bills or name any of those drafts as a paramount bill to be passed. Moreover, the parliament’s role is to criticize the government’s performance when necessary, so it’s not the parliament’s role to do the government’s job. We usually find ourselves discussing amendments and proposals that are not even submitted by the cabinet, such as the so-called amendments on the Audio-Visual law.
I blame the press for such discussions. The lack of interesting news forces mainstream media to hunt down problems. Unfortunately, this gives us headaches.

Q: Kuwaitis are very proud of their democratic practices and deem it as perfect while others may argue it’s a partial-democracy since the cabinet is not elected. Do you think having an elected government rather than an appointed one would tone down the tensions between the two authorities?
A: No I don’t think we have a perfect democracy and it does have its ups and downs. At the same time, I don’t think those who criticize the Kuwaiti democracy do so because the government is appointed rather than elected. The criticism we get is because the two authorities, the parliament and the government, do not react fast enough to take necessary and required decisions beneficial to Kuwait. As you know, democracy is a sword with two edges, which can be either used correctly to lead to prosperity, or misused to cause chaos. We should all concentrate on using this democracy the right way.
I also have to be frank with you. Strengthening democratic practices relies on voters’ decisions when electing lawmakers who represent the whole nation and believe in democracy. Democracy is not to be switched on and off whenever you feel like it. It’s a system that we all have to understand, respect and abide by for the benefit of the people and not for individuals who want to be re-elected.

Q: Talking about elections, do you believe permitting the formation of political parties in Kuwait would enrich the political scene, or would that do it more harm?
A: Personally, I believe we really and seriously have to think before changing anything in the political system. Currently, the Kuwaiti parliament consists of 50 members, and although we do have political blocs, each member still acts like he or she is a separate political party. This is very confusing even for the government, which is sometimes clueless as to how many of the lawmakers will support or reject a bill it’s presenting. I believe we should have political parties in order to get a proper democratic system and in order for that to happen, we have to work hard for it from now. But are we ready now? I’d say no we are not.

Q: Towards the end of last year, a marathon session took place and went on for almost 17 hours, in which four ministers, including HH the Prime Minister himself, were questioned. This was a big jump in the democratic practices in Kuwait. However, don’t you dread that a lawmaker will seek the questioning of HH the Premier whenever a problem arises?
A: I don’t think so. I believe lawmakers’ persistence to interrogate HH the Prime Minister was due to his initial reluctance to face these interrogations. Furthermore, some individuals took advantage of this and started utilizing the refusal by repeatedly pressing to grill the premier. But after the premier accepted to face the grilling, lawmakers thought twice of grilling him because they knew what the result of the first interrogation was.

Q: There are many tension spots in the region, one of which is the Iranian nuclear program which evokes occasional threats of a possible military attack in the region. How do you see this? And are you with or against the Iranian persistence to go ahead with its nuclear program for peaceful purposes?
A: First of all, I’m against any attacks or any threat of attacks. We live in a time where there is no place for such threats, and we are in a time where dialogue is more important and effective than threats. Another thing is, we should always remember that all countries should enjoy their sovereignty, and that sovereignty must be respected and therefore countries must all be dealt with equally.
Although both Israel and Iran have nuclear programs, why is there concern only surrounding Iran for its nuclear program?! Those who are concerned about clearing the area of any nuclear threat must be aware that Israel is part of this region. I’m 100 percent against double-standards and contradicting decisions.

Q: So you are with Iran proceeding with its nuclear program and do not consider it a threat to the region?
A: I support every country’s right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. From what I’ve been hearing, Iran affirmed it’s using it for peaceful means. Kuwait too is considering entering this field.

Q: Do you have any news regarding Kuwait’s plans to start a peaceful nuclear program?
A: We have not yet started, but I know that Kuwait is in talks with other countries. We would not want to start from the very beginning, but want to benefit from the experience of other countries.

Q: A number of groups allegedly linked to al-Qaeda have been arrested in Kuwait recently after their attempts to attack Kuwait were foiled. Do you think there has been an increase in such incidents? Do you also think existing conflicts in the region has an impact on internal security?
A: I’m not worried. Whether it’s from al-Qaeda or any other group, terrorism affects everyone regardless of their race and religion. This is exactly why terrorism has no country. I believe if we really want to stop terrorism, there should be more coordination between all countries as terrorism has become a global threat. There should be more concentration on coordinating to fight terrorism in all forms wherever it is.

Q: This is my last question since I know you have had a very long day. As a reporter, I see how chaotic and unorganized things get sometimes during parliamentary sessions with yelling and arguing and exchange of barbs. But you always manage to get things under control. How do you do it?
A: I try to be as honest as I can in such a situation. I try to be very clear and objective in whatever I do. In the end, there are always ups and down.

Q: But don’t you sometimes feel like you just want to adjourn the session and get it over with to end the debates?
A: Yes I do! But I keep remembering what my country did for me, and I feel it’s only natural that I tolerate everything to resume and fulfill my duties in an attempt to repay my beloved country. If I succeed, then I succeed in expressing some of my gratitude to Kuwait. I hope I’m doing this right, and I hope I can retire as soon as I can.