Public votes for new Kuwait
‘No crisis, no corruption ... better tomorrow’
“WE MUST all participate in the parliamentary elections for the sake of Kuwait. No one can dictate or impose his/her viewpoint on us and expect us to follow their way,” columnist, General Manager of Scope Satellite Channel and former MP Talal Al-Saeed wrote for AlSeyassah daily.
“We are capable of determining the right path that would lead to a better future for us and our homeland free from the crisis or corruption that had halted the wheel of development of our country and had impeded progress in all aspects for many years.
“I hope entire Kuwait will vote to bring in political success and to shift the spotlight away from the boycotters within the next few days. In other words, the latter will all disappear but Kuwait shall stay forever.
“These people include those individuals who are politically bankrupt, who were campaigning for the boycott of the parliamentary elections and who are demanding for the dissolution of the new National Assembly and government. One of them even said he is expecting the upcoming parliament to be brought down within three months.
“However, we hope that these people will soon snap out of their dreams symbolizing their vanity and megalomania and stop assuming that the new National Assembly will not see the daylight. One of them had the audacity to claim that the persistence of any parliament will be contingent on his existence in that parliament. He further asserted that the government that does not meet his satisfaction will be brought down.
“It would not be surprising to hear this man claim someday in the future that ‘He is Kuwait and Kuwait is his’. This is indeed the kind of megalomania that is likely to be transformed gradually into madness, particularly since we know he is involved in several legal cases. However, this time he will not be able to use any parliamentary immunity that would protect him from appearing before the competent court.
“This man should also keep in mind that there are more than a thousand citizens to whom he caused harm and they are impatiently waiting for the appropriate time to sue him.
“However, throughout her history, Kuwait has never been impeded by invaders or defectors nor been affected by any pessimists. She never allowed anyone to perturb her, simply because she had never succumbed to anyone.
“Consequently, the sincere Kuwaiti people are confident that their country will achieve the targeted success and the forthcoming phase will be better.”
Also: “Kuwait will start rejoicing today as the voters stand in front of ballot boxes to elect their representatives to the National Assembly. The Kuwaiti people are optimistic this time about electing a new parliament that would cooperate with the new government, as they are aware of the fact that the nullified parliament had contributed nothing for the good of the Kuwaiti people,” columnist Abdullah Al-Najjar wrote for AlWatan Arabic daily.
“If as much as 50 percent of the electors placed their votes, then this will be deemed as a success for the electoral process, particularly since we know that the elections were held amidst bids to boycott the elections and the participation proportion in the former parliamentary elections had not exceeded 60 percent of the qualified voters.
“The fact that the participants, irrespective of whether they are male or female, represent all the tribes and residential areas of the country, means the bids for boy- cotting the new parliamentary elections had failed drastically.
“Personally, I am optimist that the members of the upcoming National Assembly, even though most of them could be freshers in terms of parliamentary experience, will be better than those who had refrained from participating in the elections. It is evident that the latter will be the sole losers, as most people of the country with limited income are anticipating new MPs and not the former ones, which was evident from the fact that the visitors to the former MPs’ diwaniyas did not exceed ten individuals.
“Meanwhile, I am positive that the proportion of participation by women in the fourth and fifth electoral constituencies will exceed that of men, as several male candidates from the two constituencies were adamant about boycotting the parliamentary elections.
“Such being the case, one cannot rule out the possibility that some men from the two constituencies could send their women to the polling centers for them to vote for the candidates from their tribes. However, this indicates that all the boycotters, irrespective of whether they are from a particular tribe or residential area, will be represented in the new National Assembly.”
“Those monitoring Kuwait’s political outlook agree the upcoming parliament will survive for three months or six months, under perfect conditions, after the election results are declared,” Dhia’r Al-Rashidi wrote for Al-Anba daily.
“Despite the fact that this anticipation is just political badmouth, indications are clear the next parliament will not survive for long, due to the type of candidates who are vying for parliamentary seats. Secondly, we should take note the next parliament is just a transition parliament, and its members will be left to practice political game for a month or so, before dissolution.
“The government might be mistaken to think it has managed to quell the opposition; perhaps, the government might be right to some extent but it should not think the feud is over. The voter turnout will affirm the government has not managed to quell the calls for boycott of elections. Hence, it should expect the come back of real opposition next year, in June — that is if the coming parliament manages to stay for 6 months.”
“HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah has concluded a historic visit to Britain, which directly consolidates the age-old cordial relations and bilateral cooperation at various fields shared between both countries for several decades,” columnist Hassan Al-Muhaimzi wrote for Al-Sabah daily.
“The outcome will soon be seen particularly in the areas concerning economy, politics and international issues. Both countries share similar visions and they find it easy to relate because Kuwait is a leading democratic nation and unique in the Middle East, as it is among the few Arab nations where freedom and human rights are respected because the government does not restrict freedom of expression.
“Speaker of the British House of Commons lauded the steps taken by Kuwait to fortify democratic activities and protect human rights and freedom of expression. This testimony came from the Great Britain, which possesses an advanced democracy and does not flatter any country, irrespective of its significance or position.”
“Our hearts are with the resilient people of Gaza who have been enduring the oppression for ages. Those who lead the plots and plans, through certain groups or individuals, should ensure there is a strong force to stop the Zionist leaders from subjugating those poor people, among whom majority are women and children,” columnist Dr Mohammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Shebani wrote for Al-Qabas daily.
“The Western countries, who claim they protect human rights, never bothered to protect and care for the people of Gaza who are living in extreme poverty. Israel has realized that they cannot continue committing crimes for too long after rockets were launched into its cities. This incident led many Israelis to scamper for safety and all roads and shops became empty immediately.
“Just as a long night sets for the dawn to take over, in the same way the people of Gaza and the entire Palestinians, as well as all Arabs and Muslims all around the world will soon witness a new dawn. Israeli leaders have now realized that thousands of rockets can fall on them and the Jihadists are well prepared for land assaults.”
“In my previous article, I had written that I wondered whether the Gulf Cooperation Council is an association with us or against us. It is conspicuous that some personalities are zealous about transforming the Gulf Cooperation Council into a united confederation like the European Union. Some among them might have attested to it even though the idea is difficult to sell. The issue now includes the yet-to-be-published security pact which seems as though one is putting salt on an open fresh injury,” columnist Dr Ghanim Al-Najjar wrote for Al-Jaridah daily.
“The latest phenomenon in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries is the restriction to freedom, as freedom fighters seem to be the victims of the recent decision. Many incidents occurred thereafter such as the Kuwaiti blogger Meshal AlThayedind was arrested and Dr Badriya Al-Bisher was denied entry at Kuwait airport due to certain statements she wrote in the story ‘Hind and Al-Askar’, which was published in 2006 and was not banned in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.”
“However, the most disheartening aspect of it all is the verdict of life imprisonment slammed on the Qatari poet Mohammad Al-Dheeb Al-Ajmi based on a poem he wrote in 2010 in response to Al-Shabrami.
“What kind of united Gulf are they talking about when citizens are denied the freedom of movement within the member states, while some among them are imprisoned for life just for writing poems or making statements?
“Gulf countries are in a civilization crisis from which they should find a way out or at least struggle for escape by respecting citizens. Power belongs only to the God Almighty.”
“It’s a national duty for all citizens to participate in elections conducted in their country, which include parliamentary and presidential elections. In some countries, citizens who decline to participate in the process are sanctioned, and making voting compulsory for all citizens,” Mustafa Al-Sarraf wrote for AlQabas daily.
“Patriotism shouldn’t only be words that are sung; rather it should be performed as duty for the benefit of the nation. A homeland is where a group of people live and where the sand mixes with the people who live and die for it. Today we observe an important and historic day and are expected to show unity and loyalty to this country. Whoever boycotts the election and decline to participate in the process will prove low national consciousness, whereas those inciting others to boycott the elections commit serious crime against the nation because they are destroying the national unity, and this crime is unforgivable.
“The crises provokers must participate in the birth of new qualified leadership capable of pushing the wheel of development forward if they truly believe in democracy as claimed.”