KUWAIT CITY, Oct 29: The leading figures in the ruling family must re-arrange internal affairs to prevent the escalation of the current crisis, says Sheikh Dr Misha’al Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah — a veteran diplomat and the son of the first minister of education in Kuwait.

Speaking to the Arab Times recently, Sheikh Misha’al admitted he thinks some members of the ruling family may have something to do with the worsening situation in the country. He expressed regret that some members of the family have joined the opposition. He pointed out the steps taken over the last five years to organize the internal affairs of the family are not enough; hence, the need for the leading figures to exert more efforts to address the problems of the nation.

Sheikh Misha’al asserted any conflict within the family will reflect on the Kuwaiti society in general, calling on the family members to avoid taking sides in any conflict. He said the country is going through a chaotic phase in its history and this requires the family to take the initiative to resolve its own problems in a clever and efficient manner to satisfy all the parties involved, especially in the wake of the Arab Spring.

On the grilling requests submitted to the Parliament, Sheikh Misha’al believes these interpellations, even if they are based on personal disputes, are justified because the people want to know the truth behind the multimillion deposit scandal. He stressed the need for the appointment of competent leaders to push the development wheel forward.

On the corruption issue, Sheikh Misha’al said some employees have been in the same post for many years without any supervisory role. He asserted more and more people are resorting to bribery despite the fact that Kuwait is an Islamic and conservative country, and in spite of the high salaries granted to Kuwaitis. He also stressed the importance of education to eliminate corruption and bring back the value of real work. However, he regretted the prevalence of buying academic certificates, including PhDs, indicating that Gulf nationals are involved in 70 percent of the certificate-buying activities in the US.