Amir has spoken, time will tell

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KNOWN for his transparency, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah gave his word at the inauguration of the second parliamentary term. The word is a platform for the legislative authority that bears national responsibility to come out of the cocoon of familiarity with the horizon and act. The executive authority is also required to create and implement its own work program without slackness or fear of interpellation.

The two authorities are also expected to be good, considering the citizens desire to bring Kuwait out of the whirlpool of time wastage and the parliamentary-ministerial wrangle that became an obstacle to development.

The Head of State has specified a clear-cut way to ensure seriousness to work and the essence of loyalty by directing the National Assembly Speaker and the MPs to take up their responsibility and protect society from the dangers of sectarianism. They’re also required to immunize society against the devastating epidemic destroying the nations.

Loyalty is to make Kuwait our origin and to place her above all considerations so as to avoid slipping into the dilemma of sectarian and tribal altercations, because we do not want to find ourselves controlled by prejudice.

Unfortunately, the experience of the last three decades confirms that immature parliamentary actions lead to democratic retrogression. The incessant grilling games to win public sympathy by deliberately pushing for the dissolution of the National Assembly or resignation of Cabinet has paralyzed the country. In both situations, blackmail is the order of the day. Abdullah Al-Salem Hall has been transformed into parliamentary transaction processing office rather than a chamber for legislation.

In the exalted speech, His Highness the Amir put everything in the right perspective. Today, the National Assembly and the Government are demanding cautery treatment for pain and we don’t have to remind them of their responsibilities upon resumption of the next parliamentary round.

Therefore, the National Assembly should abide by the statement of HH the Amir wherein he requested the State’s representatives to think about rectifying our democratic trend to correct its negative aspects and diversionary phenomena, indicating the lawmakers should look before they leap to avoid losing focus or neglecting or mixing up true and false criteria that waste away public interests.

This is significant, because in the wake of any untoward incident, those electioneering mantras with tribal and sectarian emotions will become useless in facing danger and would rather escalate it. Kuwaitis will not rest if political movement is down with fatal egoism and selfishness. The basis of fortifying identity is to work hard to build the country and its institutions devoid of nepotism, and liberated from the claws of influential people.

There should not be appointment without competency, and nobody should influence misappropriation of public funds. The misappropriation could happen through popular laws that reduce retirement age contrary to what is obtainable across the world, or tourism at the expense of the State under the pretext of overseas medical treatment.

Indeed, the oversight responsibility HH the Amir pointed out in his speech of reality and straightforwardness should begin with catalyzing creativity within the legal frame, so that investment fund or social security institute would not be subjected to the oversight of unspecialized parliamentarians or those motivated by personal interests.

This will render those working in such institutions to turn away from investment opportunities for fear of facing accusations of squandering public funds or other claims, which our society has become accustomed to in recent years, by which the country is losing billions of funds.

There should be an end to parliamentary intimidations toward major projects, similar to the northern oil fields project or “Dow” or the fourth refinery and other incidents.

HH the Amir made mention of the economic condition of the State, and in a frank manner, pointed out that it’s not acceptable for any official to take ignorance or lack of knowledge as an excuse, especially on rationalization of expenditure, which should not be a temporary issue but a permanent trait. This constitutes rendering the parliamentarians against opening the State treasury wide in a bid to secure electoral status. As HH said, “it is outrageous to witness rhetoric and schemes that do not serve the efforts exerted on economic reform; they rather contradict and harm the welfare of the nation.

The first task of the two authorities is to diversify sources of income in a way that serves the scheme of transforming Kuwait to a global commercial and financial hub, and avoid repelling investments, trade isolation, and squandering of funds as if the nation exists on a temporary basis.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah – Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

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