‘Current crisis minor, hope for govt to take steps in public’s betterment’
“IN THE presence of 40 male and female deputies, in compliance with the constitution, and in protest of the government’s exceeding of the scheduled opening date for the National Assembly session, the parliament session was called for October 16, and it was adjourned for the government’s non-attendance. However, what happened in reality was bypassing the crisis, perhaps intentionally or unintentionally, by immunizing the opening session called for by the government on June 18,” columnist Dr.
Ghanem Al-Najjar wrote for Al-Jarida daily. “Here, the government has to thank the deputies who attended the session, no matter what was said or raised from another conversation.
“The custom is that when the council is dissolved, which is a recurring habit, it is done without any preliminaries. There is no comparison between any elections, with the last one that took place on September 29, when it was announced more than 3 months ago, and it was held in a calm atmosphere with normal results, participation and rate of change.
“However, with this unprecedented initiative, several points were scored, stagnant waters moved, and the government gained ground and regained some of the lost confidence.
“It was not expected that the period of cabinet formation and the holding of the opening session of the National Assembly would turn into a stage for the return of the state of crisis again.
“Although more than 3 months have passed since the dissolution of the parliament until the elections, the two-week period since the formation of the government made it seem like more than this period, as everything that happened in it is unprecedented.
“I do not know why the government resorted to the most difficult, and controversial, road, even though the road was clear. Is it a conspiracy or “say conspiracy”?
“Most likely it is the second. The current problem was not needed by the government, given the declared positions and behaviors. As for the dispute over the convening of the session, it will not end with the political dispute, but it may necessitate submitting the issue to the Constitutional Court, which means a further decline in the role of the legislative authority.
“Many questions will remain open, indicating that we are still living in the transitional phase, and its features highlight extreme confusion, and there may be surprises to come, until things settle down.
“The crisis of holding the opening session may be a passing crisis, mixing papers that should not have been mixed, and perhaps creating early alignments.
“The current crisis is not like previous crises, which means that there is still hope to capture the initiative and turn it into something more logical, for the benefit of the country and people, otherwise it is a political blockage in the same context, we hope it will not be.”
After the storm calmed, the storm of dissolving the National Assembly, then the storm of the parliamentary elections, and finally the storm came the formation of the government and holding the opening session.
“After all, let us record some observations that emerged through these storms,” columnist Mubarak
Fahad Al-Duwailah wrote for Al-Qabas daily. “Perhaps the most prominent incidents that we have experienced after the results of the elections are the announcement of the first government that was formed and the speed of the parliamentary reaction rejecting it, and acceptance of that out of respect for the popular desire to complete the entitlements of the reform phase.
“Recommending the Speaker of the National Assembly without elections, in a rare phenomenon, and this confirms the extent of respect and trust that the people’s representatives have for Mr. Ahmad Al-Sa’adoun.
“The absence of Mr. Ahmad Al-Sa’adoun’s reaction to some recent events, and his failure to comment on them, is evidence of his wisdom and political acumen.
“This behavior will contribute in the near future to the stability of the relationship between the two authorities, and will enable the president to play the role entrusted to him without hindrances, and will keep sailing the parliamentary ship to safety.
“It is clear that the Prime Minister was suffering during his consultations to form his first government, and it is clear that there were parachutist interventions that confused the scene, and perhaps the weak representation of the Shiites with the presence of a large number of them in the parliament is a clear indication of its implications, and the removal of elected tribal representatives from the ministries of services is evidence of awareness of experiences as it has been proven that handing over ministries of services to elected representatives obstructs reforms in those ministries, we note that all ministers belonging to tribes in this government are considered urban, even if they are tribal.
“It was noted that with a strong representation in the National Assembly of the kinetic Islamic movement, in recent days the movement swept the university students’ union elections and its scientific societies, but this was not reflected in the recent government formation, which gives an impression of the influence of some decisionmakers on the proposals of the liberal movement.
“This current, which a number of its symbols brazenly called for the suppression of the Islamists, and they demanded with all ugliness its extirpation from society, in a behavior that confirms what we have mentioned about the inability of the liberal movement to coexist peacefully with its political opponents.
“One last piece of advice, I wish our distinguished representatives to give this government a chance to work, and to devote ourselves to legislation and oversight, and to make up for what we lost in the legislative paralysis in the past, and after the first year we can use all our parliamentary powers if we want.”
“His Highness the Prime Minister was forced to postpone the inaugural session of the National Assembly from Oct 16 to Oct 18,” columnist Dr Abdulmohsen
Hamada wrote for Al-Jarida daily.
“One of the reasons for the delay was the criticism raised by many lawmakers against the government formation prepared by His Highness the Prime Minister.
“His Highness decided that it would be better for him to meet with the parliamentary blocs again in order to reach an agreement with them before announcing the final formation of the government.
“The opinion of some MPs, who argued that the Assembly must convene 15 days after the election as per the Constitution, could be valid. Therefore, they met on the specified date in order not to violate the Constitution.
“Indeed, he found about 40 lawmakers and chose the oldest among them to preside over the opening session. Then, the latter adjourned the session due to the absence of the government.
“One of the most prominent among those enthusiastic about this opinion is former minister and incumbent lawmaker Dr Jenan Boushehri. Although we believe that this opinion adopted by some MPs is somewhat right, we believe at the same time that it contradicts an article in the Constitution, stating that His Highness the Amir should be the one to call the Assembly to convene.
“We hope this minor dispute that occurred from the beginning will not lead to tension between the two authorities. Without a doubt, this tension will have a negative impact on our beloved country. We hope the wise men in the Assembly will have clear contributions to prevent such tension.”
“HH the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may God protect him, uttered wise words when he addressed the ministers after they took oath,” columnist Dr Hind Al-Choumar wrote for Al-Anba daily.
“His Highness made it clear that the pillars of the great oath are loyalty to the homeland, His Highness the Amir, respect for the Constitution, proper application of laws, protection of people’s freedom, interests, and money, and engaging m in business with absolute honesty and sincerity.
“In the next stage, every minister must focus on substantive issues and multiple files, while the priority files of the political leadership and the Kuwaiti people must be implemented.
“No one should break the great oath, for God Almighty is the best witness. The pillars of the oath must always be present before every minister who must do their work with sincerity, honesty and honor while taking care of the interests of the people and the country, and bearing the responsibility to serve the people equally by applying laws on everyone.
“I am confident that the coming phase will take into account the supreme interests of the nation, considering the people have proven their adherence to the Constitution, customs and legacies that we are proud of and were handed over to us by our grandfathers and fathers. We must protect them, and do not allow anyone to tamper with them at any time and under any circumstances.”
“Some media outlets excel in dividing the Kuwaiti people during elections. They do so in an arrogant manner, intentionally or unintentionally. They divide the people in such a way that the desired, promised and hoped for reform cannot be carried out in the new era,” columnist Kamal Ankaras wrote for Al-Rai daily.
“The urbanites got such a seat, tribes got such and such, this sect got such a seat. Then, they deepen the division, stating the Ajmans got such a seat, Azim families got such and such, Baharnah got a seat here and Kandra seat there.
“They mastered fragmentation and division, as if Kuwait is divided into ethnic and sectarian cantons, instead of being one country with united diverse people – a beautiful diversity.
“How dare some media or people go out and divide the voters, and divide their awareness and will according to their origin and sect?!
“First, the MP does not represent his family, tribe, sect, origin or race. He represents the nation as a whole. He performs certain tasks that rise in the country, tasks related to legislation like the ratification of laws, decrees and treaties, holding ministers accountable, questioning them, addressing the complaints of all citizens, discussing and approving budgets, and others. What is the relationship of these tasks with origin, family or sect?!”