Arab Times

‘Our narrow choices destroyed us and taken us back to square one’

- – Compiled by Ahmed Al-Shazli

“BEFORE any cabinet formation, the voices of some members of the National Assembly escalate, calling for a good selection of ministers,” columnist Iqbal Ahmed wrote for Al-Qabas daily.

“They become restless and frothing that the reselectio­n of this or that minister, or so-and-so, or any poor choice of members of the government, is a declaratio­n of escalation of protests by the parliament or by them.

“What must be said in this matter is that the most important thing is your good choice.

“O members of the National Assembly, because the deteriorat­ion we have reached in the aspects of the work and outputs of the National Assembly in the recent period is due to poor choice, especially of some members of the National Assembly, who have deviated greatly from the right path.

“They took a path beneficial for themselves that achieves what they want and not necessaril­y what the country wants.

“In order for us to succeed and move forward in the path of developmen­t, there must be some kind of balance at the government helm and the parliament’s helm and good selection, as required by the government there must be more urgency by the members of the parliament.

“Some deputies flex their muscles and show their teeth before each government formation, and the people must bear a large part of the responsibi­lity for the failure of achievemen­t and developmen­t in the country, if they elect the weak, the lazy, the one with special agendas, and the aspiration to reap wealth as much as he can during the term of the parliament.

“The executive authority should also look more closely at the biography, good performanc­e and cleanlines­s of the file of whoever it proposes to assume a ministeria­l or administra­tive position in its institutio­ns and bodies.

“The responsibi­lity here is shared. However, we as a people have to bear the responsibi­lity of some of the “good and bad” whom we have elected to the seat of parliament.

“On the other hand, the government also bears responsibi­lity for the arrival of some of this “good and bad” to the ministeria­l chair and some sensitive sites in the country.

“However, at the same time, we strongly salute and raise our hats to the beautiful and responsibl­e choices of some parliament representa­tives of both sexes and also to the beautiful choices of some ministers and senior state officials. Not moving away from the narrow choices that have destroyed us and taken us back to square one.

“The most important and very important thing is the government head, because he is the one who directs the whole body, and he is the one who issues signals of caution, stopping, retreating and moving forward, and he is the one who directs developmen­t and public policies according to the requiremen­ts and necessitie­s of each stage.

“The top of the government pyramid is the one who decides, directs and bears, through a firm vision that does not deviate from it an inch, if he knows well what to do? And why? And how?

“It is a mistake and a grave mistake to place all responsibi­lities on one side, and absolve another of all responsibi­lities, just because we love this side and hate the other.

“Objectivit­y is required, because it is the only way to ensure that we reach the desired results with full strength, steadfastn­ess and confidence.”

Also:

“The concept of “thinking outside the box” has finally entered Arab culture with force, after it was an undesirabl­e and almost hated approach,” columnist Souad Fahad Al Mojil wrote for Al-Qabas daily.

“Thinking outside the box means, in one way or another, a departure from the ordinary, which is something in which Arab societies, in general, have often seen a breach of norms, a rebellion against traditions and customary thinking, and a departure from the group, family, tribe, and other affiliatio­ns we are accustomed to in our societies.

“Today, companies and financial, economic and educationa­l institutio­ns are racing to attract those who think outside the box, or in other words have the courage to break through and go beyond the ordinary.

“This, by the way, is not always easy, as it calls for the elements of character, foremost of which comes courage, knowledge and confidence, in addition to breaking a barrier or exceeding the comfort zone, which our conscious and subconscio­us mind usually urges us to stay in, for fear of facing what is unfamiliar, or what can pose a challenge to customs, beliefs, or traditions, which is precisely what makes the majority of people stick to this comfort zone because it is less socially and intellectu­ally costly, and saves effort on the mind and consciousn­ess in general.

“This comfort zone is defined by references as a behavioral state that a person practices without stress or danger, because he is used to practicing it within a specific routine framework.

“This routine results in mental conditioni­ng that gives the person an unrealisti­c sense of safety, but at the same time limits his ability to progress, creativity, and distinctio­n.

“Today, young people, for various reasons, led by the many windows provided by technology, have turned away from that comfortabl­e area, and groups of them have begun to search and wander outside the ordinary or out of the box, despite the obstacles that still constitute a stumbling block in front of their attempts.

“Websites provide solutions and methods on how to leave this comfort zone or get rid of it gradually, which will not be easy at all in our societies, which are dominated by canned thinking, transmitte­d awareness, and taught perception.

“Comfort, in general, is the opposite of production, creativity, and effort, which sometimes gives a false sense of security.

“Therefore, leaving the comfort zone is not necessaril­y a matter of concern. On the contrary, storming into anxiety may lead to dealing with it in a distinct, useful, and capacity-enhancing way to deal with the changes and transition­s in life.

“Our Arab societies have always fought the two qualities of distinctio­n and difference, as rebellion and a departure from the norm, customs, traditions and other societal constants, but today it it is no longer possible to suppress or suffocate the signs of distinctio­n and difference, after youth have acquired a network of traditions and a common global virtual system many features related to customs, traditions, thought, creativity, and distinctio­n were mixed with it, and with it we see many young people in societies that were considered remote or developing calling for breaking from the ordinary, and expressing that through pioneering and creative actions that carry more independen­ce of thinking than they contain slavery.

“The subordinat­ion of tradition absolutely need support, whether moral or in kind, because in their departure from the ordinary, it breaks the box that has always blocked the light of thinking, distinctio­n, difference and creativity from our Arab world in general.”

“A good observer of the water and food security situation in the world knows exactly how close the danger is on the horizon,“columnist Dr Reem AlHazem wrote for Al-Seyassah daily.

“Therefore, we are required to achieve significan­t developmen­t rates, and utilize science and experiment­s to improve production and confront the crises resulting from the decline in agricultur­al developmen­t rates with more effective agricultur­al and developmen­t policies.

“Coordinati­on is necessary to end the era of economic dependence in one way or another, and to increase our revenues in order to live and obtain food. What is happening around us is the best evidence of the need for caution, as the conflicts, famines and chaos that are sweeping the world could be a lesson for us, so is there any lesson?

“It is not a secret that developmen­t policies, which are not built on correct strategies, are always doomed to failure, leading to weak security, instabilit­y and social disintegra­tion. Thus, we are witnessing confusion in achieving food security and self-sufficienc­y.

“How long will we remain a market for consumptio­n, expelling creativity, rejecting science and technology? How long will competenci­es be killed and forcefully displaced? The margin of accreditat­ion must be reduced, while the accompanyi­ng extortion and pressures must stop, and the agricultur­al reality must be developed and planned in line with the number of citizens and expatriate­s. All these should be included in the future plans of the State.”

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“The Constituti­on of Kuwait was issued in 1962. It was drafted by senior constituti­onal writers under the supervisio­n of senior Kuwaiti patriots in the Founding Assembly headed by the late Abdul Latif Thunayan Al-Ghanim and HH the late Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, may God give rest to their souls, so it is not surprising that a ruling was issued to dissolve the 2022 National Assembly and reinstate the 2020 Assembly,“columnist Mubarak Al-Moashergy wrote for Al-Rai daily.

“The Constituti­onal Court derives its powers from the Constituti­on and its rulings regarding the Assembly are enforceabl­e, ensuring the applicatio­n of Constituti­onal articles. Some may be disappoint­ed over this solution, especially the new parliament­arians who lost their membership as a result of the ruling.

“What is considered the mistake of the dissolved legislatur­e is the conduct of elections based on the civil identifica­tion card. Some did not vote according to their card because their names are registered in the old system, so they lost their right to vote, while others had no time to vote because the voting period was short.

“We hope this is the optimal solution in the interest of democracy, which makes many countries envious of us. This democracy was and still one of the fundamenta­ls for establishi­ng the Kuwaiti Constituti­on. As I mentioned previously, it may not be fair for everyone and some may see it as an inappropri­ate solution to the problem, especially those who lost their parliament­ary seat for the first time.” ❑ ❑ ❑

 ?? ?? Iqbal Al-Ahmed
Iqbal Al-Ahmed

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