‘Fight vote-buying, political cash’
“AN ARAB friend of intellect living in Australia asked me what was going on in Kuwait. He said he was upset about what he read in the various media means about the extent of corruption and the decline of the Kuwaiti economy after the collapse of oil prices and other issues,” columnist Yousef Abdul Rahman wrote for Al-Anba daily.
“I told him: Praise be to God, the arrangement of the House of the Rule came in accordance with the desire of the Kuwaiti people, and all matters passed by consensus at all levels, and today Kuwait is preparing for a civilizational shift led by His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince for a more beautiful Kuwait.
“I also told him that is the general scene, and the Kuwaiti citizen wants a decent life without anything touching their pockets after the elections to the National Assembly and the government formation that is aware of the present and what is going on in the minds of young Kuwaitis, the future and the present generations, needs a roadmap that includes addressing corruption and the corrupt through as under.
“A political breakthrough that begins with abolition or amendment of laws restricting freedom of opinion and the formation of a national salvation government with competent Kuwaitis who are experts and who hold genuine certificates who can purify the State from corruption, especially money laundering, and holding responsible all those who have accumulated millions in different ways by applying the law and asking the question, ‘where have you got all the money from’?
“It is a priority to abolish the one-man-one vote law, amending electoral districts to reform democratic work, banning by-elections and blocs on tribal and sectarian lines, and amending the electoral system.
“Today, Kuwait is ruled by the Amir who is keen about the interests of his people and his country and has earned the love of his citizens. He is able, God willing, to take us to safety and is supported by a historic allegiance and is considered as the right man in the right place to overcome all challenges according to his wise vision for the better Kuwait.
“The Kuwaitis today hope for a modern administration based on experience and powers, far from random selection or the policy of nepotism.
“An administration that fights corruption and the corrupt because none of the officials corrupt or influential and an administration that adopts the principle of transparency and limits waste and committees of favoritism and stops improvised rewards that are given according to moods.
“The Kuwaiti hopes for a homeland where everyone enjoys equal opportunities, and state officials stand at the same distance from every citizen without interfering in the affairs of others.
“The Kuwaiti hopes that the State will begin work by dumping those who hold forged certificates and diplomas sooner than later particularly those who hold senior positions.
“Kuwaiti still hopes to graduate generations with experience and skill needed by the the labor markets according to the requirements of the era.
“Yesterday, a friend of his sister, a US chemistry graduate, was appointed in the ministry of information. Why not blame Kuwait TV if the recruitment methods are like this. If I hold a certificate in nuclear science, is it logical to give me a job in the Kuwait Museum?
“The disaster of broadcasting the burial ceremony of His Highness the late Amir showed us the extent of the media leaderships which lags behind in keeping up with developments and the modern digital communication revolution.
“The Kuwaiti citizen is requesting and begging at the regulatory authorities to exercise their roles with full legal firmness by holding to account the corrupt, by applying laws and regulations on every powerful personality before we take a plunge deeper into corruption, especially in the agencies that represent the State.
“The solution is to dispense with and deport the marginal employment and apply the policy of replacement.
“Oh, honorable citizen: The parliamentary election to elect members to the next National Assembly is just around the corner, you alone bear the responsibility of electing competent people who will legislate for the next 4 years, and from this moment you must fight corruption of vote-buying and political money.”
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“With the beginning of each new era, we hear wishes and hopes about the end of internal conflicts between some members of the ruling family. We wish that our hopes will come true this time because such conflicts may weaken the ruling family’s role in society,” columnist Mubarak Al-Duwailah wrote for Al-Qabas daily.
“In Kuwait, we have become accustomed to experiencing other types of conflicts, perhaps the most important of which is what happens between the political, economic and social forces of disagreements, accusations of treason, and sometimes demand for end to existence or to suppress the other party and restrict its freedoms.
“The stage of the Arab Spring and the subsequent exposure of the ugly face of some of the nationalist, liberal and leftist currents towards these revolutions helped to understand what is happening today in the Arab and Gulf arenas.
“Now, the same liberal currents reaffirm their disbelief in democracy and refuse to respect the opinions of others and with lies and fabrications distort the positions of their opponents, especially those who embrace the moderate Islamic trend by accusing them of terrorism and accusing them of having links with international terrorist organizations and exploiting charity work to finance their election campaigns.
“The liberal currents falsely accuse the Islamic trend of behind the problems of the Ministry of Education, which Kuwaitis know that since its establishment, it has been run by their leaders.
“A quick look at the biggest financial and political crimes in the old and modern history of Kuwait shows that some of their symbols are at the forefront of the accused.
“Reducing local conflicts between Kuwaiti political currents is not the responsibility of the new era, but the responsibility of those in charge of these currents. I remember that I wrote an article several years ago in which I demanded a national charter for workers in the field of local press, and I found nothing but the rejection and mockery of some opponents of this call as it will obstruct some of their interim goals in using these media platforms to take revenge on their opponents.
“Today, after the security of Kuwait is at stake, and the dangers surround it from all sides, we had to warn, and demand the preservation of the internal cohesion of society and distance ourselves from those vested interests.
“The parliamentary elections are just around the corner and election campaigning is set to begin in a ‘few hours’. This is the time when the weak souls use all illegal means to confront and clean dirty linen to confront their opponents. We will know the reason for aborting the electoral process and distorting democracy.”
“From time to time, we hear about the meeting between a minister or the agent with the citizens on the day set for the latter. We also hear about the open door policy for senior officials to meet with citizens and visitors to allow them to present their problems with the administrative system. We also hear about the Citizen Service Office which receives any complaint,” columnist Adel Al-Ibrahim wrote for AlAnba daily.
“In addition, there is the Public Relations Department in every ministry. Unfortunately, the department’s work is either frozen or the officials do not cooperate with it in the performance of its work. Nevertheless, the truth of the matter is clear – that no door is open to complainants, rather there is a closed door for the minister which cannot be accessed unless the visitor has relations with influential people or a member of the National Assembly!
“Here, you will find officials at the minister’s office who follow up and contact you about the date as a result of the member’s intervention in resolving an issue that the citizen believes is his right. Regrettably, this is the reality of the situation! Indeed, there is no appreciation for the citizen, except for someone who knows a minister, to present his grievance or complaint.
“As for the Citizen Service Office in the ministries, it is useless and does not solve anything. If a complaint is received, it is kept in the drawer.”
“The most prominent features of Kuwait’s foreign policy – drafted for the country by the late humanitarian leader His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may God rest his soul – were moderation and rationality in resolving disputes,” columnist Waleed Ibrahim Al-Ahmad wrote for AlRai daily.
“With this approach, we ask God to grant our new leadership success in moving forward in following it, especially since we are a small country that is unable to enter into fierce conflicts. It must continue to carry the banner of reconciliation and reform between conflicting countries, adhering to their principles and human values, which our true religion has drawn for us to obtain acceptance and success from the Lord of servants and bless us in our endeavors.
“Perhaps, one of the most important foreign issues in the Middle East countries today is the Palestinian cause, along with pressure by the United States to recognize the Zionist entity that usurped our occupied lands.
“Had it not been for the preoccupation of US policy in domestic affairs, represented by its presidential elections, the pressure in support of Israel would have continued.
“In this regard, some people hope that the current president, Donald Trump, will fall in the elections, which will be held on the third of November 2020, and that the Democratic competitor, Joe Biden, will win. Reality says that the two are two sides of the same coin and their approach is one.”