07/02/2023
37084 times read
07/02/2023
37084 times read
O LEADERSHIP... When governments set their work programs, they depend on the capabilities available to them. In a country like Kuwait that possesses enormous human potential, financial wealth, and resources, the executive authority must be aware of ways to use them to solve the problems of the state.
Unfortunately, this matter seems to elude the minds of many governments throughout the past 20 years. All of their programs are based on selling illusion to the people, and they do not implement even ten percent of their programs. At the first gust of wind, they resign and leave the matter to temporary administration, as if they came for the sake of resigning and not achieving.
Contrary to what the world’s governments work on, all that our Cabinets offer are deals with the MPs in order to avoid interpellations. In fact, none of the world’s governments has ever stipulated the prohibition of accountability for its leader or some of the ministers because the basis of the democratic process is oversight. It is a healthy process for a responsible practice that aspires to achieve, sometimes even with errors, because whoever works must be right and wrong.
During about 100 days of the life of the last resigned government, it did not accomplish what could be credited to it, with the exception of amnesty, which is an inherent right of His Highness the Amir, and which the political leadership saw as a tool to pave the way for ensuring political stability and defusing tension.
Other than that, the government did not accomplish anything that could increase its popularity, especially after its arrogance regarding an issue of concern to the majority of citizens, i.e., loans and some populist issues.
When any citizen is asked what he wants from the executive authority, the first thing he says is social security, through quality education, which has become a scandal involving some ministers and MPs, as well as part of the education sector.
When cheating is a prominent feature, what can be expected from the future generations? Will it be responsible, and will it lead society towards renaissance, given that “Who doesn’t possess doesn’t give”?
Also, in a place where bribery is rampant, starting with overseas medical treatment program, which consumes more than a billion dollars annually even though it is possible to seek the services of the most skilled doctors in the world with half of this amount, it indicates irresponsibility, in addition to appointments through “wasta” and projects by deals. This means that the state is suffering from an incurable disease.
As for the most important issue, i.e. housing, governments have turned it into a profitable business for some influential people from three decades ago until today. They have forgotten the easy solutions that the neighboring countries have worked on by seeking the help of the private sector, which built cities with integrated infrastructure, and built houses according to the needs of each family for which the payment can be in installments over years. The state helped with the benefits, and determined the necessary frameworks for obtaining a house.
We reiterate for the thousandth time perhaps that it seems the government does not realize the extent of the suffering of about 120,000 of its citizens, and the physical coercion that is being exercised on them because they are unable to repay the loans that they were forced to take under the weight of the need. Some of them were forced to sign cheques without balance, and with high interest.
The government, with all its security and judicial agencies, plays the role of debt collector for the creditor, a practice that is not present in all countries of the world. In fact, such practices have been abandoned by the world except in Kuwait.
O leadership, much has been written and said about the form and content of the future government. Apart from the people, the important thing is that it is not needed in order to sell illusions like its predecessors. Its program of action can be implemented to avoid opening another hole in the country’s crisis, which has been prolonged and surged.
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times