Kuwait gift of Sabah family to citizens
Elders’ acumen saved nation from being annexed
“IT IS the fate of Kuwait to adjoin the triangle consisting of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” columnist
wrote for Al-Kuwaitiah
daily Sunday.
“It is needless to say that such a geographical location is overwhelming due to the special associations and repercussions; particularly in the wake of the collapse of the so-called ‘Carter Principle’, the former Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan and the eruption of the Iraq-Iran war during which the latter aggravated tension in the Gulf including Kuwait.
“Speaking of the ‘Carter Principle’, it was actually a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ between the United States of America and the former Soviet Union whereby the Gulf shall remain out of the framework of competition between Washington and Moscow for this part of the world is considered a vital part of the region for all countries due to its big part of the global oil reserve.
“As such the two superpowers had agreed that any tension in this region is likely to develop into the Third World War and this is something which both Moscow and Washington don’t want to happen. However, the political developments later led to the collapse of the ‘Carter Principle’ and this paved the way for the Gulf to enter the crucible of the fierce international rivalry to dominate the ‘springs of oil’. The relevant battle resulted in the domination of the Western camp on the region and this could be attributed to the strong military presence of the West in the region and due to the Gulf’s wide acceptance of such an existence. This happened because the people in the region regarded the communist Soviet Union as a ‘renegade’, making it impossible for the countries in this part of the world to deal with it.
“Under these circumstances, Kuwait had been transformed into a ‘card’ meant to attract the great powers. This happened although the Kuwaiti leadership was keen on staying neutral, yet it has failed to maintain a neutral stance on the issue because of pressure from various parties, specifically the ‘triangle’ of countries around her. This struggle has been ‘crowned’ by the Iraqi invasion and occupation of the country.
“In fact, Kuwait as an entity is historically linked with the Al-Sabah Family. In this context, one may cite that were it not for the sagacity, futuristic vision and wise decision of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah who made agreements with the then great powers, Kuwait would have been part of one of the three nations surrounding her (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran). We averted the crisis through our transformation into selfsufficient State as the local wealth has been allocated only for us, instead of going to the capitals of the three nations.
“Such being the case, nobody can deny the fact that Kuwait is the gift of Al-Sabah Family. Those who immigrated with this family to this part of the world, including the enlightened and competent merchants, had played a significant role towards enriching the political and economic sectors in the country, in spite of the social and economic struggles amongst the founding parties. Their remarkable achievements have made the transition of Kuwait possible, up to the extent that the neighboring countries have failed to follow its example.”
“Kuwait is currently passing through a critical phase in its history, considering the delicate regional circumstances and the recent political developments, which require us to exert more efforts to address local issues and set aside political differences so we can enter a new phase of reconstruction and growth to meet the requirements of the homeland,” columnist
wrote for Al- Anba daily Sunday.
“On the other hand, the political reform needs appropriate introduction to various developmental areas, including the economic, education and health sectors; in addition to the protection of public funds and combating corruption.
“Such being the case, we have to get our acts together and rise above sectarian and tribal conflicts. Not just that, we have to shun some terms like ‘majority’, ‘minority’, ‘pro-government’ and ‘opposition’, simply because all of us have agreed to pledge allegiance to Kuwait and HH the Amir. Hence, disagreements over certain issues should be handled only with the framework of democracy.
“In other words, we have to sit together around one table and shoulder our responsibilities within the concept of collective effort to rescue our country and maintain our institutions and democracy, away from political struggles and crises; particularly since we know the government had impeded the latter due to conflicts with the National Assembly although it had not blocked any significant development project suggested by the executive authority.
“We have to concentrate on our common objectives, abide by the Islamic Sharia and protect our Constitution, freedom of expression, national unity, coherence of our community and its stability to realize our development goals and ensure justice for all.”
“Every citizen or political authority knows that reform is in the hands of government — so is corruption. Hence, government must cooperate with the Parliament and its committees if it sincerely or seriously wants to promote reform,”
wrote for Al-Watan Arabic daily.
“The government should not interfere with the parliamentary committee elections, and should bar the MPs from the government’s quarters. It must listen and respect suggestions made by the MPs, and also respect the MPs legislative role to promote development.
“Unlike in previous years, the government needs to submit a clear visionary plan and review all past regulations and projects that were halted. Alot is in the government’s hands-just as reform and corruption are both in its hands but we wouldn’t want government to restrict the liberties given by the constitution, as in confronting peaceful marches. We need a government that listens and writes, and then strive for reforms.”
“The historic visit of HH the Amir of Kuwait to Britain and countless ceremonies held in his honor again affirm how highly placed the Amir is. It also establishes the position he holds in other countries,”
wrote for Al-Seyassah daily. “Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad is one of those great personalities contributing in financial, material or moral wise to improve the standard of living in many countries in need. This makes him a great leader and the entire world agrees in this regard.
“While in Britain, the country was in chaos due to the troublemakers who claim advocating democracy. They tried in vain to defame the Amiri entity by publishing a story in one British newspaper to paint a bad image of Kuwait, since they receive official response from many British observers. These show the troublemakers would no longer have the chance to play with the minds of people just for personal interests.
“We should be grateful to have this great man ruling the country, particularly after hearing Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth 11 affirming support to HH the Amir to confront the people trying to destabilize Kuwait.”
“Those who boycotted the election and waived their right to choose their representatives in the legislature, if it was their own decision, should take a negative stand because the real march of the people is on the democratic course and we will not give it up,” columnist
wrote for Al-Dar daily. “For now, we have to accept the unusual and random manners even if they are not beneficial to us. We need to focus on making the necessary arrangements in various fields, so we can improve our daily activities to ensure a bright future for the nation.
“If we have to deal with a lot of issues, we can do so in the next four years through cooperation. Boycotting the elections does not entail shunning responsibilities; because they still need to perform their national duties.”
“My message to the newly-elected lawmakers is simple: We are sick and tired of the use of bad language in the National Assembly. We are now bored of the sectarian and denominational conflicts. We don’t want to see anyone raising his voice again in the Assembly,” columnist wrote for Al-Jarida daily.
“We are not in despair due to the decision of some to boycott the elections. Even if we respect their opinion, we still wish for their participation in effecting positive changes. We want the new MPs to raise the standard of dialogue and discuss issues included in their electoral platforms.
“We want to see developments in the educational and health sectors. We don’t want to hear statements that merely play with our emotions. We want lasting solutions to the traffic problems in the country. We want Kuwait to regain its status as the ‘Pearl of the Gulf’ in order to attract tourists.”
“The resignation letter that Dalal AlMarzouq submitted recently to the Zakat Committee of Al-Shamiya and Shuwaikh should be taken into consideration,” columnist wrote for Al-Seyassah daily.
“Consequently, the government, represented by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, must thoroughly investigate the work of the committee and several others. AlMarzouq has paved the way for the government to investigate committees which serve the Muslim Brotherhood, instead of working for social solidarity and performing good deeds.
“This committee is one of the ‘branches’ of the Brotherhood; otherwise, it would not have asked the director of the Women Department to boycott the elections. The main problem is the government’s tendency to support committees that work against it and put pressure on the electorate to boycott the elections.”
“Now we know who won and lost in the elections. We also know the voter turnout and most important of all, we can now gauge if the new Parliament is worthwhile or if it is just a transition legislature,” columnist wrote for Al-Qabas daily.
“Initial indications showed the call for boycotting the elections was a success due to the absence of veteran and well-experienced politicians. Most of the newly-elected MPs have no recognized political experience and are not considered people of opinion and vision. Another indication is the participation of over 200,000 Kuwaitis from all walks of life in the third march.
“I think the new National Assembly will most likely fail due to the lack of experience of its members who are not qualified enough to pass properly reviewed projects. Moreover, the government, which will implement the projects, will not get the necessary support, particularly in terms of seeking advice from the MPs, because it will deal with a Parliament which does not know how to say ‘no’ unless it intends to blackmail the executive to serve personal interests.”