‘Amir hopeful of GCC patchup’
‘End bitter media campaigns’
“SPEAKING at the just concluded Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad has dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s on the character of the Gulf-Gulf differences,” columnist and the editor-in-chief of Annahar Dr Emad Bu Khamseen wrote for the daily.
“His Highness has described such differences as the most dangerous challenge currently facing the Council which are extremely obvious and rife with frankness and transparency.
“In other words, His Highness – through the eyes of an expert and being a shrewd politician – has summarized the dimensions and the associations of the relevant crisis, which have dissatisfied all those who harbor sincerity and love for the GCC as an organization.
“However, with all words of warning and caution, His Highness as usual is still optimistic, strong, hopeful and confident about the possibility of finding solution for the crisis, and this means the parties to the crises, should first of all stop their media campaigns against each other.
“He hinted these campaigns shall help add fuel to the fire of differences and aggravate and enhance the distance between the brothers. He added, the campaigns in question, where some words and expressions are used were never before used while talking with our brothers in the Gulf States.
“It is needless to say His Highness the Amir is one of the founding fathers who had laid down the first foundation stone to build the Gulf Cooperation Council castle. He was one of those who were keen to make the GCC castle strong.
“Not only that, he quietly knows the danger and the seriousness of the circumstances that currently surround this organization (GCC), given the fact it had proved steadfast over the years during which it had dealt efficiently with all challenges and ordeals.
“Consequently, all Gulf parties must not underestimate the words of His Highness, rather must take them cautiously and seriously. These words of caution should be dealt as a beacon for guiding all the relevant parties.
“In this context, we cite what was said by the Omani deputy premier for Cabinet Affairs. He described the speech of HH the Amir as a minaret that guides the works of the Gulf Cooperation Council, because this speech embodies reality.
“Certainly, the keenness of His Highness the Amir for unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council doesn’t need any further proof, because His Highness places the problems of the Gulf states as well as that of the Arab states and that of the world at large at the top of his priorities.
“Given the above, he deserves the title of ‘The Leader of Humanity’, because His Highness always calls for mutual convergence, understanding and reciprocal respect among all states and always strives for the good of entire humanity.
“We pray to Almighty Allah to protect His Highness the Amir and help him achieve all his targeted objectives for the benefit of mankind.”
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“It is but natural to hear the speech yesterday (Sunday) of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad during the 39th session of the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that was held in the Saudi capital Al-Riyadh, enjoying a significant concern at both the official and popular levels in the State of Kuwait as well as in all of the other GCC states,” columnist Abdurrahman Al-Awwad wrote for Al-Sabah daily.
“The sublime speech was very strong, too obvious and frank. In other words, it actually targeted the objection directly and as such it touched the heart of every Gulf citizen.
“The speech, was distinguished, particularly the bid of HH the Amir to stop the media campaigns among the GCC states, warning that ‘the said campaigns had negatively touched our values and principles and sowed the seeds of sedition and division among the ranks of our children which shall destroy every castle that was built by us’.
“I think everyone concerned is in agreement when His Highness warned of the danger which currently threatens us unless all concerned parties respond positively to his precious advice and his attempts to stop the malicious media campaigns which are bleeding the hearts. These campaigns have harmed our ears, threatened not only our interest, but our very existence.
“The words of the Amir were extremely true when he said that his bid comes ‘on the basis of his keenness to protect unity of the GCC member states’. Not only that these words are motivated by his desire to end the current deterioration which threatens the unity of the GCC and the unknown fate which awaits us (GCC states) in future.
“Yes, it is ‘unknown fate’, hence, we pray to Almighty Allah to protect us from this fate, but it is needless to say that the prayers should be accompanied by serious and honest work as well as a true decisiveness to enable us to surpass this phase which represent the most dangerous of its kind throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council’s march.
“We pray to Almighty Allah to bless this march for the sake of protecting our states and peoples from the dangers of the challenges which currently threaten the region according to the speech of HH the Amir.
“Consequently, we hope the message of HH the Amir will not fall on deaf ears but will be accepted by those who are concerned and help us avert the dangers and restore the earlier brightness, unity, fraternity and solidarity to the Gulf Entity.”
“Several people have been calling for scrapping of the Central System for Remedying the Illegal Residents in Kuwait (Bedoun) and removal of its Chairman Saleh Al-Fadhalah,” columnist, former MP and General Manager of Scope Satellite TV, Talal Al-Sa’eed wrote for Al-Seyassah daily.
“It may be irresponsible act intended for personal interests, but when the claim comes from a group of about five or more lawmakers, it deserves a deep thought, especially those who are interested in the bedoun issue themselves. Will the problem end with the departure of Saleh Al-Fadhalah, or is the issue beyond the absorption of the anger of the bedoun and make gains at the expense of their cause by riding on the wave?
“Members of the National Assembly are required to provide solutions to the Parliament and then approve them and later forward them to the government. Their role is supposed to be the legislation, not making speeches and demand for ouster of someone or do away with the state policy to solve this thorny issue that has been inherited by the committee, a fact which no one can deny.
“We need members who offer solutions according to their vision as representatives of the people concerned with the issue of the bedoun, and agree with the government on the mechanism of solving this complex situation. When a member of the National Assembly and a man on the street is considered equal, and each of them demand the departure of Saleh Al-Fadhalah this makes a laughing stock and should be rejected even by the bedoun themselves before others.
“It is worth mentioning that one of the members during a seminar which was attended by a very large number of enthusiasts called for the internationalization of the bedoun case and a memorandum was submitted to the then Secretary-General of the United Nations (Kofi Annan).
“There was a loud applause and cheering while the scenario portrayed bedoun being carried on the shoulder and later it was discovered that it was nothing but a cheap gain and publicity stunt.
“We have to think with complete calm and our minds rather than relying on emotions. We must stop demanding the scrapping of the central system or departure of Saleh Al-Fadhalah. We will press the lawmakers to find real solutions through a law to be followed by the central system.”
“The statistics issued by the Juvenile Prosecution and published in a local newspaper showed an increase in the number of juvenile cases, which requires us not to ignore this phenomenon. The security authorities and the relevant institutions must exert tremendous efforts because by all means this phenomenon sounds an alarm bell and that is why we are in an urgent need not to ignore them,” columnist Tareq Hamadah wrote for Al-Anba daily.
“The reason is simple and that is because of the increase in the juvenile crime rates. The crimes committed by them over the past five years have increased by 250 percent, which is twice the total of registered cases, and also because of the fact that the youngest section of citizens makes the largest population in terms of the general census.
“According to the study prepared by members of the Public Prosecution, who have respect, objectivity and accuracy, the crimes committed by the juveniles have by far surpassed several countries. The most common cases are traffic crimes followed by self-abuse, fights, etc. This is in addition to crimes of assault related to money and drug offenses.
“The issue of disregard for the traffic laws is not only a violation of traffic regulations, but the real issue is that in one case a young man suffers disability.
“Therefore, the values of respect for traffic law must be established and not violated in any way. It must begin with us as parents by urging our children to follow our example. It is not simple because it may destroy the future of a young man and may end up with murder, God forbid. Also the involvement of juveniles in cases of thefts, abuse of alcohol and drugs is sadly at an increasing rate.
“The evidence indicates lack of family control and penetration of drug traffickers among young people can, in the absence of control, tempt the youth to consume drugs under the illusion of memory retention.
“The Interior Ministry must work to dry up the sources of these toxins that put schools under the microscope, to be coincided with a national campaign to raise awareness among young people and focus on secondary schools.”
“The Audit Bureau is the supervisory arm of the National Assembly in Kuwait, through which the Parliament monitors the performance of the government in the financial aspect, and its reports are not censored because of its distinguished employees’ reputation for performance and efficiency,” columnist and former MP Mubarak Fahd Al Duwailah wrote for Al-Qabas daily.
“This shows the significance of the institution, which is regarded as the most important state institution, and its president is the only one appointed by the National Assembly, not the government.
“But..! After the death of the late president of the bureau, may God have mercy on him, Abdul-Aziz AlAdasani, the State Audit Bureau relaxed in its resolute performance, and the Kuwaiti bureaucracy began to move into this lofty body. Complaints about the method of appointments and mode of selection began, while selection of a new president took more than three years. This led to poor performance, which attracts frequent complaints concerning some of its decisions.
“Because its control precedes government projects, the Bureau was presented with outcomes of decisions taken by the Central Tenders Committee and the committees in charge of selection of number of highway projects in the Ministry of Public Works awarded to a number of contractors.
“The State Audit Bureau agreed, after confirming that there is a budget for these projects, but after about a year and a half a strange decision was taken by the Bureau demanding the cancellation of the decision to approve some of these projects! Thankfully, the project had not started at the time due to the contractor’s delay in getting the required guarantees.”
“In the aftermath of the heavy seasonal rain witnessed in the country few weeks ago, most of the official statements published in the local newspapers by government officials and politicians revolved around the Mangaf Bridge, which appears to be the second wonder in Kuwait after Kuwait Towers, Yousef Ahmad Al-Madeel wrote for Al-Jarida daily.
“The focus on Mangaf Bridge” is an annual affair, because the bridge seems to have a unique construction plan by which rain water is gathered, and which overshadowed the level of damage caused to other vital roads in the country to the point where patrol and rescue vehicles were unable to manage other roads as effectively as they did on Mangaf Bridge.
“I suggest the closure of this ‘monument’, because its construction plan is obviously flawed or it could just be turned into a rain water catchment area or even sewage in a bid to end the fuss preoccupying parliamentary activities, the local press and even public opinion. When a country drowns in seasonal rain, doesn’t that symbolize the level of corruption it endures; why not sign contracts with countries like Japan that have solutions to such natural phenomenon?”
“The proposed amendment of the Citizenship Law endorsed by the parliamentary Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee, which allows the naturalization of nonMuslims, is raising several questions. It sounds major alarm about danger and calamity in the Kuwaiti society,” columnist Rihab Al-Shimmari wrote for Al-Rai daily.
“This amendment is not in line with the welfare of the Kuwaiti society. In fact, it promotes western ideas amongst us and it serves non-Muslims, let alone fighting the Islamic identity of our community in a manner that contradicts the Constitution and opens the door to change the population structure and the Arab-Islamic identity.
“Why not start with naturalizing the children of Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis and Bedouns, considering many of them hold higher education certificates and are assets to this country? Why not naturalize our Arab brothers and sisters who were among the first to serve this country in various aspects in the sixties and seventies? Why not tackle the suffering of Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis as fast as this amendment was reviewed and endorsed?”