AS long as the quota system is the criterion for forming a government, there is no doubt that such a government will be like the current one where everyone is singing to his own tune. As long as the only concern of the MPs is extortion and exploitation of the weakness of the Cabinet for lack of solidarity, the country will inevitably stoop to this current unenviable level, and the matter will worsen.
For this reason, it was not surprising that the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Oil, the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Education and the rest of the institutions failed. This is because every minister works according to the interests of the influential person who pushed for his appointment, or he works for himself and his interests, such that Kuwait and those in it are the least of his concerns.
On the other hand, when MPs are elected on the basis of tribalism, sectarianism, or vote-buying, it is impossible to produce a National Assembly that legislates for the benefit of the country and its people; rather it limits its work to capitalizing on benefits.
Therefore, what the country is currently experiencing, according to the majority of the public opinion, is like playing in injury time, as each team tries to win a goal over the other, indifferent to the people and their fate.
The Prime Minister is standing like a spectator. He does not seek to settle matters and pull the country out of the tunnel it has been trapped in for nearly two years, while he is primarily concerned with managing the government apparatus.
On the other side, the MPs continue to make forbidden gains through blackmail and brandishing of interpellations, which quickly subdue the ministers, rendering them to surrender in advance, presenting deals on the plates of public money, and wishing well for the lucky ones who received the blessings of “wastas” and tenders.
Amidst this chaos, the commoners alone are the victims, especially the owners of small and medium enterprises, and other initiatives that either went bankrupt or their owners migrated to neighboring countries, while their support fund turned into a source of enrichment for the privileged, or wasted on government and private parliamentary trips, and the money did not reach those who deserve.
This is an example of what the country suffers from in light of ministerial indifference and His Highness the Prime Minister’s lack of initiative to listen to the people’s opinion. Even if he listens, he will not make any move, as it seems he is afraid of error. At the same time, the birds of looting are flying all over, at a time when the issue of depletion of the public reserve represents a nightmare for the government, which is immersed in the search for the gender of angels and not seeking to get out of the financial and economic predicament.
Perhaps it should be mentioned that we do not differ from other Gulf societies in terms of culture, customs and traditions. While we all aspire for similar hopes, which is that our countries must be at the forefront, Kuwait remains different from its peers in terms of having more than one decision, in addition to its weakness in terms of dealing with issues head-on. This made the country continue to regress, while her peers have been moving forward rapidly.
In light of this situation, the people of this country consider the political leadership alone as their savior from the crisis, and not a weak government and opportunistic MPs. This is due to the fact that the two sides have proven their inability to work, and they have mastered the art of wasting opportunities, and proved their lack of awareness of risks.
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
