With corruption prevailing in society ... have we run into a wall?
“THE most difficult question on my mind these days is ‘Where are we heading’ or more precisely, ‘In which direction is Kuwait heading?’ Everything seems to have come to a standstill. No effective development, no beneficial education, no good health, no clean environment, no healthy economy, no realistic policy, no effective democracy and no productive human being, neither the government, nor the National Assembly, nor the Municipal Council, nor the political currents, nor economic actors, nor popular groups, nor civil organizations, nor the university, nor even a cooperative society, nor others, in whom we put hope to lay out a road map for this country which has become a prisoner of conflict and corruption’ based on tendencies of fear and hesitation,” columnist Dr Ali Al-Zuabi wrote for Al-Shahed daily.
“Yes, we are all captivated by this fear and hesitation, to the extent that the fear and hesitation have become two features of this society and we have reached a point that cannot be seen or that has lost its own features.
“All of this is a result of ambiguity with which the government operates, and the personal interest in which parliamentarians work and most of all it is a result of the abhorrent dependency that the people enjoy.
“The Kuwaiti triangle -- the government, the parliament and the people -- is feeble and we cannot expect a glimmer of hope from it to reform the Kuwaiti case, some of which have become hopeless about their recovery at a time when we find the rational people distancing themselves and their commitment to absolute silence about what is happening.
“The coalition of corruption and self-interests has prevailed in society to the point this coalition has now come to the conclusion that it is above the law, above society and above people.
“In light of such a situation, in the midst of shouting, lying and fabricating accusations have become the established practice and behavior of the politicians and the public while the unhealthy and socially destructive conflict becomes the accepted and agreed upon phenomenon, whereas the country, its fate, its future, and the future of future generations, have become secondary issues.
“The society inches towards the unseen – a dark and gloomy corridor but in the false belief that at the end of the road there may be some glimmer of hope, but we end up entering into a dark tunnel, deeper and darker than what we have left behind.
“Given this situation our ship is caught up in a spiral. The problem is everyone is aware of what is happening and tries to benefit from the situation as much as possible sometimes for the benefit of class, sect or group.
“Poor, Kuwait! Yes, poor, because God has afflicted her with those who love their private interests at the expense of the public interest, which is achieved by stirring up an atmosphere charged with gossip, screaming, accusations and rumors and stirring up strife and hatred among the social components which has crippled us.”
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“When I heard some opposition MPs were in consultations or working to get rid of the Speaker, I thought it was a joke, and that the opinions they exchanged during their meetings indicated the level of frustration that some of them had reached without achieving anything tangible from their high-ceiling aspirations they presented as their election manifesto,” columnist Abdulmohsen Jamal wrote for Al-Qabas daily.
“It is but only a human habit that to accuse others that they are the reason for what happened, and here they find the Speaker the obstacle in front of them, so he must be removed by any means. This is the height of frustration.
“When I saw that their demand was written, stamped with their names, signatures and seals, I said that the situation has become completely unnatural. Is it conceivable that the opposition which comprises of professors of law, politics and constitution experts with parliamentary experience make this simple mistake, which cannot he expected of even a first-year law or political student, let alone the leaders and thinkers of the political scene?
“The strange thing is that they have cited the articles of the constitution that show how the Speaker should be elected in the event that his seat becomes vacant due to death or resignation, and it does not apply from near or far to the issue of impeachment, which the constitution has not dealt with in any of its articles.
“For example, is it possible for some voters after the elections to demand dismissal of a deputy because they do not like him and that they miscalculated, or that those who elected him are their competitors and not them?
“Did they not know that when they elected him, that was for a period of four years, which is the age of the parliament, and also when the MP elected the president, it was for the term of the parliament, which is also four years and that there is a legal rule that everyone knows, not to mention the specialists that who is ignorant of the law cannot be excused.
“So is it possible for this ignorant person, if any, or for those who want revenge even at the expense of the reputation of the nation, or for those who want to distract the nation with foolish issues to take the lead in the political scene even by stirring up trivial matters or by wasting time of the assembly sessions and preoccupying in gossip and frequent interrogations similar to arguments whether chicken or the egg came first.
“They (the so-called opposition) said that their president was ready, and they did not succeed to elect him, so they accused some of them of treachery. Then they fought over the validity of holding the sessions without the presence of the ministers, so they clashed with the constitution and precedents, and then they turned away, and questioned the ability of the parliament to postpone interrogations or hold them in secret sessions, or to refer them to the ‘legislative’ or constitutional terms of reference and finally they shamefully remained mum.
“All this happens because of an alleged majority that can change the political reality if they strive in the interest of the people and if they work together in the interest of the voters and serve their legitimate national interests and do not repeat the actions of the previous majority, which led to the dissolution of the National Assembly.
“The situation today must be reformed, but it is in the hands of wise men and people of good opinion, not in the hands of the ignorant. Attend the sessions and discuss with logic, evidence, and proofs.”
“Tvhe ‘New Kuwait’ became a short slogan printed on books and publications in ministries and other government agencies. Undoubtedly, this gives hope for everyone who deals with these books and publications regardless of the content and its importance,” columnist Hind Alchoumar wrote for AlAnba daily.
“It is logical for any official who deals with these books to have a vision consistent with the ‘New Kuwait’ slogan, which includes integrity, equal opportunities, equality, justice and desire to be a realistic example for achieving this vision by closing the sources of corruption, fighting favoritism and ensuring justice for.
“Whenever the slogan ‘New Kuwait’ shines on any letter or government transaction, this means a written commitment from all State agencies to take care of the people’s interests in all decisions and transactions.
“It also includes disclosing with full transparency that all State agencies and ministries are aware of their constitutional and moral responsibilities and duties to achieve a new Kuwait in all fields and at all times and seek to enable the citizens to obtain their legitimate rights in sustainable development in its economic, social, human, health and environmental dimensions in accordance with plans and programs based on scientific studies. It takes into account the aspirations and priorities of citizens and the country, away from personal whims and narrow visions.
“On the foreground of the basic human rights are the rights to expression, freedom of opinion, health, education, and privacy as a constitutional right that transcends other rights enshrined in the Constitution and international charters and agreements.”