‘Qualified leadership, transparency vital for running govt institutions’
“IT IS no secret that one of the most important vital elements for the progress of any institution is the element of qualified leadership – the leadership that knows how to run the institution, how to face the crisis and how to lead the work team. Unfortunately, experience has shown that we in Kuwait lack this important element in most of our governmental institutions,” columnist Asrar Hayat wrote for Al-Qabas daily.
“Today, the opportunity seems favorable to move towards change in choosing true competencies to lead our institutions and ministries, as we all know that the executive work in its precise details is based on the undersecretary and the assistant undersecretary in every state institution. For some time I have been following the news about appointments in senior positions in the country and noticed that there are more than 60 vacant positions of ‘Undersecretary’ and ‘Assistant Undersecretary’, and those in charge of these positions are managed in the capacity of ‘acting’.
“In light of the many vacancies, I see a favorable opportunity for the executive authority and the ministers concerned to fill these senior positions with competent and qualified people -- qualified to manage the crisis, and here I would like to emphasize that we have been hearing complaints about ‘parachute’ appointments but I want to point out that it is not necessary to appoint someone from within the institution, he can be from anywhere but what is important is the ability which qualifies the person to be a senior official.
“Here, I would like to commend the tests approved by the Civil Service Commission to determine the eligibility for a person to take senior positions in more than one aspect including budget management, crisis management, leadership skills and the proficiency in English language, and others, which are undoubtedly necessary skills for any leader, so that we at least know that he/ she holds the minimum qualification to lead an organization or sector.
“Today, while we are facing exceptional circumstances, in light of a health crisis, a potential economic crisis and the consequences of all that, we first need to quickly accommodate these vacancies especially since news reports indicate that for more than a year no one has been appointed in senior position especially since we have many development projects waiting to be implemented.
“It is of the utmost importance that we implement the principle of transparency and benefit from the Right of Access Law. First, the community has the right to know the qualifications of the leaders who are appointed, on the one hand, and on the other hand the right of those applying for some of the jobs and are not accepted should know the reasons based on the principle of transparency which is the shortest way to fight corruption at least in the area of appointments.”
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“We have lost our values and our conditions are far worse with the change of positions and it is sad to say everything has been turned upside down,” columnist Waleed Al-Ahmad wrote for Al-Rai daily.
“A sheikh who is in senior position in the state talks about the need to reform the country and uproot corruption by striking every corrupt person, charging him/her with money laundering and referring him/her to the Public Prosecution.
“A minister who swears by God Almighty to be loyal to the homeland and the Amir and to respect the Constitution and the laws of the country often ends up filling his ministry with corrupt people from his group or movement, passes the transactions which others had rejected and forget the oath he has taken.
“A novice candidate filled with enthusiasm stands in front of his constituents snarling and threatening the government if it does not respect the Constitution, defend it and stop its corruption and will not have mercy on his interrogations if he wins a seat in Parliament, and the first thing he does is participate in the by-election in violation of the law ”.