Oh leadership … Without a strong prime minister, we remain in a fix

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THE departure of the 42nd government in the history of Kuwait is nothing more than an episode in a series that is ongoing since 1962 when the first government was formed.

Since that time, the average age of the government did not exceed 24 months, from the time of independence until 2001, after which, it started shrinking to one year. This is a clear indication of the instability that disrupts the public interests.

Of course, the most common reasons behind the resignations are the weakness of the governments in general, and the inconsistency of the ministerial formations in an essential aspect, which is a natural result of the failed approach in selecting the heads of government.

Another reason is the choice of ministers who are incompetent. This is a mistake that has occurred in more than one government in the recent period, such that the Kuwaiti people considered them as “planted”; even one of the heads of government was described as “a walking robe”.

Without beating around the bush, we say that the main problem perhaps lies in the weakness of some heads of government, who, in the face of any important pivotal situation that requires a decisive decision, freeze and claim that they cannot do anything because the orders come from above them, hence letting mess prevail and laws to be broken.

In fact, they contribute to the violation of the laws, employing it for purposes that they were not intended for. A testimony to that is article 80 of the Social Security Law, which was exploited in the worst way by granting exceptional salaries, and turned into a way of wasting state funds and distributing them to the privileged.

Blaming the National Assembly at every crossroad will not absolve the government of its responsibility. It must realize that the political system in Kuwait will not allow the existence of a comfortable parliamentary majority for any prime minister.

Therefore, a prime minister must be strong, capable and a shrewd politician at the same time. He also must urgently come with a strong ministerial line-up that have the ability to confront obstacles, and be in harmony and agreement on a comprehensive national program that meets the needs of people and expresses their aspirations for the future.

Kuwait also needs a combative prime minister who defends his program and his ministers, is not possessed by fear of parliamentarians, and does not seek to please them, something that he will never achieve no matter what he does.

This is due to the fact that the parliamentarians only care about what serves the segments that elected them by adopting populist proposals that tickle feelings. Their cost may be high on the economy and the treasury.

Kuwait needs to put the government house in order and choose statesmen to pull it out of the current decline that hits all levels, improve services, eliminate bureaucracy, renew laws, and reform the economic path that suffers from inflated expenditures and waste in various aspects.

Kuwait needs a prime minister who is a leader and has the talent for leadership, who does not consume the balance of the House of Government, who defends his program and implements it, and who confronts obstacles. The parliamentary questions should not stop him from achieving his goals, regardless. Therefore, dealing with them is one of the axioms of political action. Burying the head under the sand will not work, and patch-up work will only bring more tension in various forms, due to which a decisive confrontation is necessary.

Last but not least, without a government and prime ministers with experience, creativity, and understanding, it is evident that we will continue to remain in a fix.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

This news has been read 40636 times!

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