National Assembly and ‘Kuwait of Year 2000’ drama

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IT seems the passion that pervaded the political campaigns still influences many lawmakers to the extent that they keep trying to drag the legislative authority back to square one.

The situation is similar to the case of a group of lawmakers that prioritized personal interests above other considerations to gain control of the hallowed chambers. In those days, the lawmakers used grilling as tool to blackmail and raise resonating slogans, although the reality was different — as they only planned to use vituperations to keep Kuwaitis busy and thwarted accountability during elections.

Pages have been turned over with reference to incidents that happened at that point in time, regardless of the massive negative effects they left in the Kuwaiti terrain. It has become pertinent for the current lawmakers to learn from the past to avoid falling into the same trench or dragging the country into a catastrophic pitfall of crises initiated by the first victim.

Each person is looking up to His Highness the Amir after his call for the lawmakers to allow “logic, wisdom and cooperation to prevail between the government and the Parliament” through superior directives he gave to the National Assembly Office staff to ensure that individuals saddled with the responsibility of lawmaking are guided by wisdom.

He stressed they should not allow lack of logic to sustain immature adventurous political behavior either by initiating grilling requests on the prices of commodities and services or subsidy removal, revocation of citizenship or interfering in foreign politics through which Kuwait may be dragged into foreign disputes, citing recent call for a special session to discuss the situation in Aleppo — while there are numerous issues begging for attention; for instance, the future of our finances and economy amid the current oil crisis and our sole reliance on oil revenues.

Perhaps, the lawmakers who have taken up the sword of challenge against the government by expressing unquenchable desire to file grilling inquests with the aim of flexing muscles to gain electoral fortune should revert to the drama “Kuwait of Year 2000”. Legendary actor Saad Al-Faraj displayed foresight in the drama performed in February 1966, which anticipated the country’s situation in the post oil era when the fiscal boom is over and unemployment has become prevalent, and there is nobody to fix the cars of Kuwaitis or bake bread for them or serve them in their homes at the heart of market recession. The drama was performed to make the lawmakers understand essence of the responsibility laid on their shoulders by citizens, which is basically to protect Kuwait.

Amid the current bitter financial situation that has almost brought us to the atmosphere depicted in the drama, embarking on economic reform is no longer an option or mere luxury. It was supposed to have been done decades ago to avert the current rate of complication wherein lazy employees determine parliamentary attitude to enable them continue receiving everything from government without performing the slightest duty to the country.

For this reason, ingratitude to blessing is widespread, leading to dissatisfaction as to the manner in which Allah the Almighty shares wealth among humans, depending on the rate of their efforts. He says in the holy book “We have made for you therein means of living and [for] those whom you are not providers. And there is not a thing but that with Us are its depositories, and We do not send it down except according to a known measure.” (Surah Alhijr, 20-21).

Wisdom means engaging the mind in study, thinking, and planning for the future. This is what is expected of those elected by citizens to represent them in the legislative authority. They are obliged to be serious in handling trust by allowing public interest to prevail over personal interests. They should stay away from playing scripts of imported agenda that have been confirmed as destructive to the extent that they nearly run the country nay for the protection of Allah Almighty and wisdom of His Highness the Amir who undoubtedly possesses enough wherewithal internally and externally. He knows where the truth lies in the country and continues to guide the lawmakers through superior counseling to ensure they do not go astray or drag Kuwait into destruction.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

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