In the face of firm leadership, what is required of new parliamentarians?

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MANY questions are being raised about the nature of the outcome of the upcoming elections, especially about the relationship between the two authorities – the legislative and the executive.

This is due to the fact that the current political scene is different in both form and content compared to the scenes that Kuwait witnessed throughout the past thirty years, especially with regard to the National Assembly’s encroachment on the powers of previous governments, and the laxity of some prime ministers regarding this matter, as well as the ministers’ fear of interpellation, and them offering concessions to the parliamentarians on a golden platter.

Today, we are facing a different leadership, something that the country has not seen in over the past three decades, or even during some of the pre-invasion eras.

Therefore, the recent dissolution of the National Assembly did not come out of nowhere, but after several warnings from the leadership who saw that the relationship between the two authorities had reached an impasse.

Also, the reasons for dissolution are different from what was mentioned above. They certainly indicate that the head of state was serious in those warnings, the messages of which unfortunately did not reach the dissolved National Assembly.

This implies that necessity forces the solution to be outside the usual box. What exactly does this mean?

It means that all individuals engaged in public service, particularly the MPs in the upcoming parliament, as well as voters, should realize the significance of the firm messages conveyed by His Highness the Amir in recent months. They ought to strive to elect parliamentarians who truly embody the interests of the nation rather than pursuing their own agendas.

Also, the parliamentarians must uphold a level of national responsibility that necessitates cooperation with the new Council of Ministers, irrespective of whether it is of the same form and content or a different one, and with the current presidency or others.

Hence, if there is harmony between the two authorities, the state can progress as needed. However, if the relationship is not as healthy as expected, akin to what is observed in sound democracies, a solution may be sought imminently.

The priority now lies in ensuring that state institutions operate effectively and address the demands of the people, particularly considering the significant toll exacted by failed experiments over the last three decades. Kuwait cannot afford to endure further futile experiments, particularly if they replicate the instability witnessed in previous councils, especially the most recent one.

In the past three decades, the scene seemed as if the parliamentarians were the rulers and the Council of Ministers were merely their employees. This is not a normal relationship.

In all democracies, parliamentarians have their role, and the government has its work. One authority does not creep over another. On the other hand, what was seen in Kuwait resembled an inverted pyramid.

In the usual course of events, a solution is anticipated, whether through conventional means or through a potentially difficult surgical intervention.

However, it is imperative, particularly considering His Highness’s constitutional right to suspend the work of the National Assembly for a duration he deems necessary, and appoint someone to assist him in the legislative role in a manner beneficial to the nation.

Given that the leadership has perceived significant public discontent with the two authorities in recent years, its aspiration is for progress rather than being stuck in a vicious cycle that drains institutions and jeopardizes the nation’s destiny.

This all depends on two things – the first is the parliament’s output and what it can provide, and the second is government performance.

It is not possible to bet on the current Council of Ministers, considering what it presented during the short period that followed its formation, because it did not take the opportunity to express the contents for which it came.

Therefore, the real test remains on the extent of harmony between the two authorities in the three months after the elections and the formation of the new Council of Ministers.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

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