PANAMA CITY, April 17, (KUNA): Speaker of Kuwait National Assembly, Parliament, Jassem Al-Khorafi called on parliaments around the world to work on changing how big powers in the new world order deal with the Arab region.
Addressing the 124th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Al-Khorafi said the fast, deep and ongoing changes that “our world witnessed during past few decades had significant impact on the human society and led to optimism for better human conditions.” These changes, however, were associated with concerns over commitment of the new world order and its ability to achieve better political and economic conditions at the national and regional levels, he said.
“Those concerns were valid as international rates of poverty, unemployment, hunger and disease increase, conflicts in the developing world escalate, the economic gap with the developed world become greater and domination by the developed world in world politics continue. This is all under a new world order that was supposed to achieve balance and justice in international relations,” said Kuwait’s top MP.
Al-Khorafi noted that most notable developments in the world were the political change in the Arab world, “caused by external and internal factors.” He said the super power dealt with the Arab region in the “same old fashion either as consumer market, source of energy or a region of strategic interests without attention to the expectations. This approach has to change and the parliaments of the world should assume that task if they are genuinely interested in building a better world.” The Speaker said democracy and honoring people’s aspirations were basic demands and had contributed to the movement for change in the developing countries.
“However exaggeration in those demands and rejecting dialogue will result in the absence of agreement, anarchy and economic recession.
“Therefore concerned parties have to be realistic, wise and put the national interest in the forefront to serve the best interest of their people and the stability of their countries. The international community should not use political change as a tool of self interest, interference and domination. That is what parliaments of the world should seek and work for,” he asserted. Al-Khorafi said promoting democracy and human rights in the Middle East should be associated with ending the Israeli occupation.
“We have to make sure that the global interest in promoting democracy and human rights in the Middle East should be accompanied by a greater interest in putting an end to the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories and stopping the settlement policies to achieve a just and lasting peace that guarantees the legitimate rights of Arabs and insures stability and security in the Middle East,” he said.
The State of Kuwait, noted Al-Khorafi, was not isolated from global and regional movements for change towards democracy.
“Kuwait ... has been keeping up with changes for decades. The State of Kuwait has made significant progress in its people’s march towards democracy and constitutional government which started in its early history and achieved the rule of law, popular participation and parliamentary accountability,” he said.
The people of Kuwait are proud of that and the whole world protected these achievements in the liberation of Kuwait from the occupation of the regime of Saddam Huesein, he added.
The parliament of Kuwait, said Al-Khorafi, was the “main popular authority in our constitutional system that performs an active role in supervision and political accountability.” Kuwait is partaking in the IPU meeting with a delegation also including MPs Marzouq Al-Ghanem, the Secretary of the Parliamentary Caucus Asil Al-Awadhi, the Treasurer of the Caucus Saleh Ashour, along with the MPs Shuaib Al-Muwaizri, Ali Al-Omair, Ghanim Al-Mea, Dr Rula Dashti and the National Assembly Secretary General Allam Al-Kandari.