Let’s not get lost in details

Along with the accelerated tensions due to the nearness of parliamentary elections, the government is expected to open its arms wide for a large number of lawmakers to renew their affiliations, and the best channel to do so is through overseas medical treatment. For example, the health minister will not mind being a link between current and new lawmakers and decision makers amongst ministers and sheikhs regardless of the government’s promises to block the financial drainage caused by treatment abroad, with a few exceptions, according to the government’s wishes.

In a recent article, my colleague Kamel Harmi said: “The growth in touristic medical treatment patients, according to statistics recorded in August, from 2,500 to 6,000, means sending 120 patients for treatment abroad per lawmaker at a monthly cost of KD 70 million. So, tell me about the silly talk about saving expenses, increasing fuel prices and cutting expat teachers’ rent allowances!”

Political bribes, such as treatment abroad, is not the point. Neither are the other forms of gifts and corruption facilitators. So much has been written in the local press and so many people have talked about corruption and favoritism and about how the authority sometimes legalizes it or turns a blind eye to it. What matters now is whether there is any use of our debates and discussion about how the country is being run. In other words, have we noticed any change and intentions to reform despite the oil price disaster? Was there any reaction on the government’s or the parliament’s part towards this drainage of public funds other than worthless lawmakers’ talk about strong rejection of overburdening citizens and protecting public funds?!

We all know that you cannot get blood out of stones, and our political administration is made of stone. All what is being said and written by the so-called reformists, politicians and former MPs are only media tranquilizers meant to act as tools to cool our tensions.

It is mandatory not to get overwhelmed by too many details about the coming elections; about who is for and who is against, because eventually, the elections are only a tool of political amusement in a state full of political emptiness and boredom, as long as the political administration has no visions about the future or a real project that would save it from the unknown future.

—Translated by Kuwait Times