‘Don’t wash dirty linen in public’
“WE MAY criticize each other, we may argue with each other, we may file cases against each other, we may struggle with each other and we may presumably and realistically fight each other, but all these practices must remain in the framework of local democracy and no external party should be allowed to interfere,” columnist Asrar Jawhar Hayat wrote for Al-Qabas daily.
“I like many others was shocked to see that our democratic difference developing into something that attracted even the attention of the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, ignoring the fact that the Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanim during the filing of the complaint in question was on an official mission abroad to represent the Kuwaiti parliament, not to represent himself.
“In other words, how can we file complaints abroad as if we don’t have institutions to refer our complaints to? This is as if we have no Abdullah Al-Salem Hall and no voting process and no constitutional regulations. This is as if we have no Constitutional Court to resort to when we are at loggerheads over constitutional articles or when we differ over the application of the same.
“I will have never supported what occurred recently which is a gross violation against the Kuwaiti democracy. I will never justify what occurred either inside or outside the National Assembly rather, I was shocked by the behavior which undermined the picture of our democracy and the example we had set to the Arab World.
“I am not defending anybody, rather I am criticizing, but our criticism against the public personalities, should aim at serving the public interest, not to undermine the image of the State of Kuwait.
“Hence, those who wrote to Mr. Sassoli must have realized that while they were portraying the scenario about the Kuwaiti parliament, they were also undermining the image of Kuwait by painting a painful scenario, because the latter undoubtedly undermined our democratic process and hurt our reputation at international level. As such, we wonder what responsibility these people are talking about.
“Apart from the above, is it not enough that we have become the talk of the town among our Gulf brothers by setting a negative example of ourselves? Which Kuwaiti has not heard his/her Gulf friend criticizing the Kuwaiti democracy? Is there anyone who was not criticized for our parliamentary events? Is there anyone among us who did not receive a tweet about our political reality, although the latter reflects the volume of freedoms guaranteed by our constitution, but unfortunately some of us sometimes misuse these freedoms?
“However, I exactly know that the democratic practice contains some acute arguments and different viewpoints, that even the parliaments of advanced countries witness which sometimes developed into fist fights (although I am not supporting the same), so certainly we are not immune to such behavior, but why some of us reported our local differences to outsiders?
“Why we always convey our negative aspects to foreign parties instead of the positive ones? Why we don’t contribute to improve the image of Kuwait at international level instead of undermining the same?
“Anyway, we agree that our political scene recently entered a dark tunnel as if we are on a battlefield with the warring parties remained stubborn and refused to listen to reason. In this connection, we have observed how the ministers refused to participate in a session because some MPs occupied their seats and the session ended with the ministers standing at the entrance of the Parliament hall.
“Notwithstanding, the persistence of such a situation is no longer acceptable, as such the rational people from the two parties, should listen to the voice of wisdom.
“Given the above, my advice to the esquire MPs whose keenness about public interest we don’t doubt that instead of sending your letters to Mr. Sassoli that will bear no fruit but give a negative picture about the Kuwaiti democracy, resort to the Constitutional Court.”
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“Many years ago and until now, the prime minister as well as the ministers do not respond properly to report of the Audit Bureau or parliamentary questions, hence, we saw how we are in a state of dispute and acute aversion to such an extent some of the parliamentary sessions were held indoors without endorsing the state budget by the necessary majority, given the fact this happens while the person of the famous ‘no’, still repeats the word ‘no’ for the constitutionality of, ‘no’ for legislation of, ‘no’ for the secrecy of and ‘no’ to this, ‘no’ that and so on,” columnist Abdulaziz Khuraibet wrote for Al-Shahed daily.
“But the fact that we have to refer to upon the handling the topic of ‘no’ and our brothers (the MPs) on the front seats is a violation of the constitutional conventions, but it is needless to say standing behind the doors and on the stairs is even greater violation and one of the MPs was quoted as saying the voting process took place in the WC and out inside the Parliament hall.
“Personally speaking, I don’t know why some people react strongly and get the feeling of dissatisfaction motivated by their desire to promote rumors and publishing of photos and video clips of what happened during the shameful session that was allocated to discuss the budget and the related ‘fistfight’ by that happened under the dome of the Abdullah Al-Salem Hall.
“However, the parliamentary and government practices set a new precedent and constitute a tragic event and this is the regretful outcome of incomplete democratic experiment which suffers from shortsightedness and manipulation besetting the relevant practice.
“It is worth mentioning that the media war created by the marginal and unimportant events reflects on both the life and the fate of the people as well as on the public interest at large.
“In this connection, we cite the fistfights that occurred under the dome of the National Assembly involving some MPs who lack harmony, lack of interest in the homeland but they work for the interest of some persons and symbols.”