IS it possible to exit from the current impasse that Kuwait is enduring due to the absence of a firm decision and the inability to confront and solve problems?
The answer to this does not need much thought ... all that is needed is to resort to the country’s Constitution and all its components that made Kuwait occupy an important status in the region in the 1960s and 1970s and become a true democratic oasis. All the things that burden the citizens or weaken the performance of official bodies must be avoided. However, in case of inability, it is necessary to resort to the last medicine, which is cauterization.
What we are experiencing today is the natural result of the continuous practices since the mid-1980s, which caused a deep crisis that made the citizens fear for their tomorrow. This happened in the absence of a clear vision concerning the state’s function, after corruption became rampant and selectivity prevailed over equality in the application of the law.
This is why all attempts to exit from this impasse have failed, for instance, the financial and economic crisis because of reliance on the opinions of a group of pessimists who portrayed social justice as a way to appropriate public funds and shrink the gains of people, as well as express a desire to increase their wealth, and prevent even crumbs from going to those who deserve assistance.
Since the inception of Kuwait four centuries ago, there has been a cordial relationship between the rulers and the people. This relationship is free from the feelings of injustice or resentment because social justice was based on the correct principle, which is to stand with the aggrieved and the oppressed, and implement the law without favoritism or narrow interests or fraud.
All this changed when the game of securing jobs started to turn into electoral investment, and tribal and sectarian prominence, which ultimately led to the current situation.
Therefore, the state, in order to ward off the dangers caused by this disease, is required to restore unity between it and the people. It must get out of the cocoon of narrow interests, especially with regard to issues pertaining to livelihood, housing, economy and freedoms. It must turn back the clock to where we were before we entered the darkness of the crisis in which we are currently.
Unfortunately, the current crises represent the most important factor in the political investment to blackmail the government, especially at the parliamentary level. In the absence of a government program, these people exploit problems for marketing themselves, either in terms of the housing crisis, or in economic and financial proposals that touch the nerves of Kuwaitis such as the issue of loans and writing them off, or the incentives, which is still a slogan echoed by ministers even though they did not present any realistic solution in that regard.
In addition, the image drawn by social media shows the regime as a monster. Even though this is not the case, the lack of decisiveness and decision-making ability, and the inability to market the government and its programs have convinced a significant proportion of the citizens to fall for the smearing campaign against the government.
All this can be summed up in an Arabic adage which translates to – “In the cloak there is a man”. The government should focus on addressing its essence instead of its appearance, given that all this will disappear, or else crises will follow and there will be no way out of the tunnel of crises.
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
