‘Corruption will continue to flourish when protectors are involved’
“DESPITE the great efforts made by the state to confront the phenomenon of corruption and the assurances of HH the Amir that fighting corruption is not an option, but rather a legitimate duty, a constitutional entitlement, a moral responsibility, and a national project and a responsibility of everyone, and that there is no protection for the corrupt, and no one is above the law, regardless of his name, title or his post, corruption is still widespread in most ministries and state institutions, according to statement issued by the Public Authority for Combating Corruption (Nazaha), which announced a few days ago in a report that it had registered 90 new offences during 2020 about suspicions of corruption in 37 government institutions,” columnist Mishari Al-Matraqa wrote for Al-Jarida daily.
“It is noticeable that the reports submitted to Nazaha of suspicions of corruption and financial irregularities in a number of government agencies accusing directors of departments at a rate of 34%, followed by assistant undersecretaries at a rate of more than 15%, then directors of institutions and their deputies, so how true is the popular proverb, ‘The protector is the thief, or a fox guarding the chicken coop’ applies to them.
“This indicates the seriousness and the extent of corruption in the country, and that the senior officials who entrusted with protecting public money are the ones involved in theft, and that all measures, procedures and legislation to deter the corrupt have not yet reaped the fruit, and that the weak souls who have no conscience find fertile ground to satisfy their corrupt interests.
“In fact, the existence of this mass of manifestations of corruption should not have taken place in light of the multiplicity of the supervisory authorities and the efforts they make and the provisions in our legislation that aim to protect public money and reduce the manifestations of transgression.
“Therefore we need new mechanisms and legislation and increase penalties so that corruption can be detected and eradicated in the early stages. We also need to move from a state of reports and complaints to serious practical steps to confront corruption that lead to drying out its sources, prevent its causes, holding those responsible accountable for corruption, recover public funds that have been subjected to looting and theft, and taking legal measures at the local and foreign levels with seriousness, concerted efforts and with cooperation of all parties, and the activation of optimal coordination between the regulatory authorities.
“Preserving public money and protecting the reputation and the prestige of the State of Kuwait requires adopting a serious practical approach to confront the scourge of corruption, and there should be serious and strong action by government agencies which are entrusted with oversight, and it is not only the issuance of statements about suspicions of corruption, but rather by putting in place solutions and determining the measures that must be taken.
“Likewise, the civil society institutions and citizens must play their role in this important national project. Kuwait deserves all of us to work for its advancement and to be free of corruption.”
Also:
“In light of the imbalance of the administrative and structural systems in the government apparatus, the recurring and rapid ministerial changes, and the interference, control and dominance of the legislative authority over the executive authority during the past twenty years, some influential people belonging to some political and religious currents, parliamentary blocs, tribal and those with sectarian tendencies were able to appoint some scientifically and technically unqualified employees in sensitive jobs in ministries, government agencies and institutions,” columnist Dr Mohammad Al-Duwahees wrote for Al-Shahed daily.
“This category of junior employees, let’s call them “the administrative and technical cats”, have been protected and empowered year after year by these religious, partisan and tribal currents, taking advantage of the political conditions and the speed of government changes as well as the weakness of ministers supervising these sensitive government agencies and institutions.
“Thanks to some MPs, the numbers of these administrative and technical cats increased and became influential in these government agencies and institutions year after year through the use appointments based on nepotism and remained in office not due to efficiency. They assumed senior positions in these important government agencies, institutions and sensitive bodies, enjoyed many administrative and legal advantages with the help of experts and consultants in order to cover their faults, mismanagement, and administrative, financial and legal mistakes.
“By time, these ‘fat cats’ have falsely claimed that they are the protectors of the administrative, legal and constitutional systems and procedures and are building the state of institutions. In reality, they are nothing more than obedient cats and puppets in the hands of the blocs, currents, and hidden political and religious parties that have planted them in those positions.
“The misfortune is that when any reform official dares to think of criticizing or changing any of these ‘fat cats’ or referring them to retirement, the influential people and the stakeholders who are closely related to them accuse this reformist official of fighting the state of institutions, obstructing development plans, and disrupting strategic and vital projects.
“The ‘fat cats’ derive their power and influence from some influential, corrupt people and those with narrow interests who do not give any consideration to the interest of the homeland. Yes, they are taking advantage of an army of legal advisors, administrative and technical experts to cover their mistakes and administrative, financial and legal violations, and they show to ordinary citizens through social media and various media that they are applying laws and administrative procedures with all their power.
“We are waiting for a firm, decisive, determined and experienced leader to save us from the ‘fat cats’ who disrupt work in these sensitive institutions. Or is it our destiny to remain hostage to their influence and control in our governmental apparatus?”
“What the opponents insist on now – as a condition to stop disrupting the work of the government and the Parliament – is doing away with the Speaker of Parliament and His Highness the Prime Minister from the political stage – which is a violation of the Constitution in spirit and text, specifically when we speak of Articles 50, 51, 52 and 53, and on the compatibility between the nation and the ruling family , which was confirmed by the two parties and pledged to it at the Jeddah Conference in October 1990, and neither the government nor any fair-minded person can accept. At the same time, the opposition, in its continuous escalation, has not kept itself to popularly acceptable norms,” columnist Dr Ali Abdulrahman Al-Huwail wrote for Al-Rai daily.
.“Therefore, resolving the situation requires a joint action by the three parties – the opposition, the Speaker of the Parliament and the government away from ‘chaotic’ scenes.
“After getting out of the bottleneck crisis of the economy and social tension, everyone should stop threatening and ruminating on issues of corruption and presenting them as idle excuses, but should be keen on adopting a comprehensive national development project that includes diversifying sources of income, developing oil and manufacturing industries and supporting them with giant projects with Iraq with international participation and sponsorship.
“The concerned parties and society leaders and the state must realize the decline in the strategic importance of Kuwait, the region and the region in light of the decline in demand for its oil, after America’s export of its production in the world, and as a direct result of the trade tension and technical competition between the American and Chinese economies, and China’s challenge to America’s supremacy over the world.”
“Politics is the art of the possible. That is the first rule, and the opening sentence that a political practitioner memorizes in his first year by heart. If he wants to delve into the ‘sea of the possible’, he strikes balances, takes into account general situations, pressing issues, and societal priorities, and studies how to adapt and not color them with the changes, so that he does not lose his basic political principles, personal values and ethics, and his main goals,” columnist Hadi Al-Anzi wrote for Al-Anba daily.
“The outcomes of the National Assembly 2020 elections came as an exceptional dream for many, and there are those who considered it a nightmare on a cold desert night, and others saw it as a normal, healthy state of an emerging and open democracy in a ‘constitutionally’ dry desert region, even if it was devoid of political parties, supporting their opinion that it was fair and transparent society as an expression of public opinion of different colors of the nation, and opinion changes with a change of convictions.
“Usually, the beginnings of the previous nation’s parliaments are quiet and their intensity rises with the passage of the first months, until the political arena begins to glow little by little where issues are raised in both their consensual and controversial sides, and the deputies and the government flock to the opinion and justifications that support each one’s argument according to what they see as transparent beliefs, until the two parties reach a common ground that enables them to realize what is difficult.
“We have witnessed in previous parliaments at different times of their parliamentary life a feast here and an interrogation there, a threat to submit noconfidence motions, the resignation of a minister, and a ministerial rotation, so there is no break in principle, or unbelievable preconditions, as there is always give-and-take – ‘repetition’ and ‘escape’ and a wide political space that can accommodate everyone, but the current honorable Parliament seems unusual, and the general political scene with its details is not hidden from anyone, and this matter does not serve the parties and the entire nation.”
“There are matters that are very serious and very humorous as well such as the fact that our security personnel - who the people of Kuwait are unable to thank - discovered an ISIS cell that intended to carry out bombing and killing operations, and vandalism in mosques and churches, if it were not for the protection of God and the vigilance of the officers of Ministry of Interior,” Sami Abdullatif Al-Nisf wrote for Al-Nahar daily.
“The bombing is the legitimate seed of takfir, which is based on extremism in opinion and non-acceptance of the other. If we want to eliminate terrorism, we must deal severely with those who disbelieve others, who pave the way for the followers of the gullible and the immature to believe everything that the priests of the temple say, and the sheikhs of shedding of the blood, who have proven without any doubt that they are content to deceive the children of others, and leave them to death or sent to prisons without them or their children carrying out terrorist operations.
“Rather, the sheikhs of atonement and bombing send their children to study in secular and liberal Western countries against which they incite the youth. As soon as their children graduate, they put up pictures on their social media sites. This is also the case when they get married, while the bereaved, widows and orphans of those who they were sent to death remain in permanent mourning, wearing black, their eyes never cease to weep, and their tongues never to mourn.”