Free government … not a shareholders club

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HH the newly appointed Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah is entering the field of serious challenges, carrying the trust of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. This did not happen from a vacuum, as it is attributed to series of challenges that Sheikh Al-Khaled faced and triumphed over in the ministerial portfolios he held throughout his political life.

The last of these portfolios is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he succeeded in performing his duties despite the unusual regional situation which reflected on the country. We understand that he did not lobby for the position, but the situation compelled him to accept such a huge responsibility. This is in spite of the sensitive domestic terrain at a time the parliamentary election is fast approaching along with serious maneuvers among lawmakers to show their strength. We are sure the coming days will prove that the Amir is right in the placement of his trust.

In order to translate this into reality, it is necessary to explain the fact observed in previous governments which made them move to the mines, succumb to lawmakers or be incapacitated as they were unproductive. Here, we mean sharing which kills many countries as seen in Iraq right now where parties that share governance have gone wild – up to the extent of allowing outsiders to interfere and implement hostile projects at the expense of citizens while the shareholders are busy sharing the loot.

On the situation in Lebanon, it almost became a clear model for sharing of money and authority among militant leaders in sectarian lines. The country sank into the water of compromises, increasing the impact of livelihood crises while nobody is capable of stopping the collapse due to widespread corruption.

Doing away with the abnormal principle (quota) will magnify the invulnerability of the Council of Ministers since it will be free from the grip of influential figures – lawmakers or others outside the executive authority. It is only then that Kuwait will get out of the economic and socially backward circle caused by former practices through which the country repelled investors, initiators and inventors, as depicted by parochial and racial dispositions that it is a country outside the planet.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled is very rich in knowledge of other societies, particularly civilized blending. He is blessed with a massive cultural reserve. Through his experience in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he is aware of what other countries in the world need from Kuwait concerning cooperation at all levels as well as what Kuwait needs from the international community. Taking this into consideration, he should not be stingy to his country in terms of his experience which he should invest in restoring confidence in Kuwait.

It is not easy to handle this issue without a strong and capable government which is free from the burdens of its predecessors. Therefore, the premier must prepare the ground of success for the Cabinet to perform its duties.

Today is the chance of Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled to be with Kuwait and vice versa. He should not waste opportunities. It is necessary to prevent the country from returning to the situation of revolving around an empty circle, because that will exacerbate the crises and the treatment will be very difficult.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

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