‘Stick to Constitution, unity’

Other Voices

ABy Ahmad Al-Sarraf

few days ago we celebrated the 55th anniversary of the promulgation of the Constitution of Kuwait. On this occasion, the well-known jurist, Emad Al-Seif, posted a tweet which read: “With the events surrounding us, there will inevitably be a smile of pride on the face of every Kuwaiti on the anniversary of the promulgation of our Constitution, which has safeguarded our ruling system and safeguarded the right and dignity of the citizen.”

This Constitution was strengthened, and its articles were deep-rooted at the Jeddah conference, which was held in October 1990 and I was one of the invitees to this conference. Kuwait won not only international support but also its people’s adherence to its small and beautiful homeland and the leadership of the Sabah family.

The participants at the conference reflected their unity around the legitimate leadership, which proved to them the strong ties between them and the Kuwaiti people, and continuing the relentless efforts to restore the kidnapped homeland from the grip of the sinful occupier.

This was stated in the leadership’s speech at the conference that the Kuwaitis have been living in freedom since ages, and committed themselves to the Shura, and practiced democracy within the framework of the Constitution, which was accepted by all, adding that if their jurisprudence differed on matters related to the arrangement of the House of Kuwait, they are more cohesive and determined and cooperative in the face of the threats to them.

The Iraqi regime erred in understanding the nature of the Kuwaiti internal front and believed in some citizens’ views on arranging the situation of the homeland thinking that there were differences and contradictions between their sons.

In a speech delivered by Abdul Aziz Al-Saqer, the most important justification for this meeting and its objective, which must be committed to the rebuilding of the Kuwaiti House, is the emphasis on popular participation based on freedom of dialogue, majority of the resolution and supervision of implementation. Aggression would not have occurred if the aggressor had not denied the role of peoples in determining their fate, he added.

On the other hand, the Kuwaiti experience proved that those who had other opinions, when committed to the fundamentals of political action motivated by the public service and full loyalty to the country and its national legitimacy, and

Al-Sarraf

based on the intellectual conviction liberated from all subordination, they can only stand in the ranks of the country as a shield for their legitimacy and freedom.

The popular participation, which we call for in Kuwait, does not need theories because it is clearly defined as the foundations and institutions in the Constitution of the country.

Since the moment of its establishment, the Constitution has become a covenant between the people and its political leadership. It has certainly gained a new historical honor after the martyrs of Kuwait sacrificed their souls with the insistence of the people to uphold the legitimacy and express their noble loyalty and respect to its Constitution.

Then came the decisions of the Jeddah Conference, which was held under the patronage of the late Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and upon the invitation of His Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah in Jeddah from Oct 13 to Oct 15, 1990 under the title ‘We have declared to the whole world our categorical rejection of the occupation by the Iraqi regime and the falsity of all allegations made by the Iraqi regime to justify the crime of invasion and occupation of our homeland’.

It was also our condemnation of all acts of murder, oppression, torture and terrorism carried out by the regime against the unarmed innocent civilians, Kuwaitis and residents, a condemnation of the acts of the Iraqi occupation forces and attacks on places of worship, acts of theft and robbery, which extended to hospitals and schools.

It was an announcement to the whole world that the Kuwaitis adhere to the ruling system chosen by the people since its inception and accepted by successive generations, and confirmation of standing behind the legitimate leadership, add to this other countless important decisions.

The two speeches of the leadership represented by His Highness the then Amir late Sheikh Jaber and his Crown Prince the late Sheikh Saad, and the speech of late Al-Saqer, must be studied within the curricula of education, to take lessons from them. Unfortunately, the details of that conference have not received the attention of educators.

I conclude this article by saying that after living for nearly three quarters of a century in this country, I have never been exposed to the threat of endangering my life in any confrontation with anyone representing the ruling family or the security services.

I have never been afraid that my freedom or dignity would be violated as long as my acts are within the law, and this is what characterized Kuwait always, the leadership and the people, therefore we should all be proud of our homeland; adhere to its Constitution and unity.

e-mail: habibi.enta1@gmail.com