Politics without principles
Something suddenly occurred to me while following the heated debate between the MPs and the Cabinet over the fine paid for the cancelation of the K-Dow contract. The damage resulting from the cancelation decision exceeds the US$2.2 billion in fine paid to Dow Chemical. I believe it would not be unfair to say that the biggest problem in Kuwait is that there is no learning from mistakes and the consequent uproar mostly focuses on criticism rather than attempts to diagnose the problem. Signing a mega deal such as the one with K-Dow leaves the door open for suspicion, while paying a hefty fine confirms the fact that the government committed a double mistake, which is too grave to be ignored and requires parliament and government officials to jointly investigate the deal before pointing fingers of blame.
The government has taken some unusual steps while signing the K-Dow deal, but we have to agree that there are other parties responsible for the cancelation decision-including the parliament, which put pressure on the government to terminate the contract without considering the consequences of that step.
In politics, numbers are more than just figures used in mathematical equations. Their implications are particularly significant when personal interests are involved. While the government should be questioned over its decision, the position of lawmakers who kept attacking the deal must also not be ignored. Questioning the government politically - and even criminally if necessary - is important, but so is the need to question the lawmakers who put pressure on the government to cancel the deal.
The government is required to provide clear answers for a number of pressing questions, such as: Why did it sign the K-Dow contract despite the prevailing global economic situation? And what was the reason behind accepting an unusual clause involving a penalty that is estimated at 30 percent of the deal’s value? Furthermore, the government should also be questioned about the reason behind its failure to consult local experts and instead depend solely on JP Morgan’s recommendation while signing the deal. In the meantime, the position of lawmakers who demanded the cancelation of the deal without considering the consequential losses must be reviewed.
Dear MPs, while it is your right to protect public funds and utilize all constitutional tools to achieve that goal, keep in mind one thing that was identified by Mahatma Gandhi as one of the seven “roots of violence”, which is “politics without principles”. —Al-Rai