Three decades and still in crisis

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A COUNTRY cannot live through three decades of continuous crisis due to the ambiguous relationship between the two authorities — the legislative and the executive, as well as the encroachment of one authority on the other. This led to an absurd conflict between them, which can only be solved by determining the specializations of each authority. Otherwise, we will remain where we are; while the economy will keep on declining although we have a hundred- year oil reserve whose income can be exploited for gigantic development. We are experiencing an ordeal in every sense of the word.

For quite a while, it has been a taboo for anyone to demand for amendment of the Constitution; because he will face many accusations, up to the point that in one of the parliaments, some MPs suggested imprisoning those who criticized them or those who demanded for amendment of the Constitution. Parliamentarians have been keen on interfering in the powers of successive governments; that is, they sought to seize power even through the guise of preventing others from criticizing them despite the presence of the ruler who is the father of all the authorities on this land. They rather tried to interfere with his powers by seeking to enact laws that limit such powers.

This has not happened in any country throughout the world, even those whose democracy is older than that of Kuwait. In the current crisis regarding the formation of the government; the MPs, who are not yet constitutionally immune, tried to blackmail the government by preventing the nomination of any of them to join the latter as an ‘analyst’.

The goal is to delay the formation as much as possible, either because some of them want to dissolve the Parliament, or they are waiting for the ruling of the Constitutional Court on May 21; so that they can then decide whatever they want, or for more force and terrorizing of the Council of Ministers, as if the paralysis that the country has experienced over the past months is not enough.

Over the past three decades, all the flaws of the Constitution have become apparent. It has become old and has become in dire need of revision; even if the matter requires suspension of the National Assembly for a certain period and asking for the assistance of constitutional experts — whether citizens or those from abroad — to review and revise it. Genuine democratic countries are those that renew their constitutional systems in line with the current needs of society and the supreme interests of the State. They do not stop at the opinion of a parliamentarian or a bloc.

Here, the goal is the future; not clinging to the past. After 60 years of working with the current Constitution, Kuwait is now experiencing a multi-pronged crisis. This is not healthy at all. One of the disadvantages is that some MPs exercise a kind of dictatorship over the ministers and the people. They impose their points of view and mood, while bragging about it through social media. This indicates the extent of their disdain for institutions. Here we are, at a time the world is moving towards opening up to one another. These people deliberately close all outlets to other people; thus, preventing joy and smiles, whether through their backward laws like the ‘negative phenomena’ that do not exist in Kuwait, or through pressure on ministers to abandon their decisions. Unfortunately, ministers succumb to such pressure for fear of accountability. This is the clear characteristic of successive governments.

This means that the MPs are the ones who rule, not the constitutional institutions. For instance, the country needs every effort and cooperation between all authorities in order to repair what has been ruined by malicious and absurd practices and exploitation of influence. The country lives in poverty due to the suspension of development projects or interference with appointments. The country is poor in terms of its infrastructure or its services. Its people are groaning due to many crises, while the MPs focus on their personal interests. It is now time for the country to emerge from this ordeal and to have a new Constitution built on solid foundations. Those who prohibit this, attack those who demand it. They prevent the development of the State. The beneficiaries of this chaos are those who sing praises for democracy, yet they are far from it. This happens because they realize that once the relationship between the two authorities becomes clear, they will no longer have power over others to achieve all the personal goals they have always been seeking.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
Email: [email protected]

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