Received this via email this afternoon – the sign: “We won’t be welcoming Parliamentary candidates.”

Young professional Kuwaitis – with exceptions of course – tend to be more honest, transparent and tougher in implementing regulations; they come from a ‘cleaner’ generation, many are reformers who wouldn’t hesitate to battle corruption; sending scores from within their own ministries to the Public Prosecution, and in general burn bureaucratic and official bridges for the sake of reforming the system.

But the ruling elites don’t like dealing with them because young professionals are ‘harder to control’: they are mavericks, they think and act independently and they don’t kiss ass. You won’t see them sitting mildly outside the PM’s office holding their paperwork, waiting for approval (they would be too busy cleaning house).

Most of the suggestions concerning young ministerial candidates given to the PM or the Government are almost always turned down – they prefer a crowd they can control, a crowd that has mutual interests with the government, a crowd that has a track record with the government; another reason why you often see the resurrection of dinosaurs from the 1980s and beyond to new cabinet positions. They are not interested in other Dr. Anas Al-Rushaid types.

We don’t just need new young blood in Parliament, we also need it at the ‘Council of Ministers.’ However, the ‘rinse and repeat’ modus operandi of cabinet positions is not bound to change anytime soon.

This morning I posted an entry in my personal blog about what the ideal candidate should have in terms of skill-sets and qualities, and later on, it hit me…perceptions differ from one voter to another.

Ours is a very traditionalist-oriented society, one that find comfort in repeating the usual practices of ‘doing the same thing’, including supporting the usual candidate. But we live in an unusual period in our lifetime right now.

POINT: Iran, our close neighbor, is already future-proofed it’s economy, by employing an alternative source of energy, which also doubles as a military deterrent as a force multiplier to its large army.

POINT: Saudi Arabia has realized that extremist movements like ‘The Promotion of Virtue & Prevention of Vice’ is a threat to its society and government, and has already defanged it, and revamped its educational system.

POINT: Qatar, with it’s newly-discovered natural gas resources, is taking slow steps to exploit its primary natural resource, while reaping every penny from its revenue towards economic and infrastructural development.

POINT: China, Japan, the EU, and others among the world’s strongest economies, have recently announced drastic measures to save what’s left of their economies.

POINT: Globalisation has rendered traditional classroom lectures and tests wholly useless, and as a result, many colleges and universities are now providing their curriculum and coursework online!

POINT: With so many university graduates looking for highly paid jobs, job placement is scarce…and I’m referring to the world all over, not just Kuwait!

POINT: We are an Oil-producing and exporting country, but we still don’t have a specialized Petroleum Studies College that can produce the Kuwaiti labour needed for self-sufficiency in this critical and strategic sector – Abu Dhabi has a highly reputable one called The Petroleum Institute!

What we need to do is dare to think outside the confines of our traditionalist ways, and encourage other to do so as well. We need to shed the light on these critical issues, and highlight them as cornerstones of our demands as a people from our government, through the candidates who possess the qualities that would enable them to voice our demands properly and accurately. We need to dare to believe in actual change in our hearts before we demand it of others.

Call me a Liberal, but like it or not, this is what will save and secure our country’s future.

A blind, ignorant belief in faith is not enough (I dare to say so!) to deliver us from the evils of this world, and neither is the struggle to implement this faith from within a political agenda, nor is the support of those who strive for it. If one studies history, one would realize that it was the concept of ‘practicality’ – not just faith – that had delivered Europe from Facist and Stalinist ideologies, or be closer to home, saved the Middle East from Mongol domination.

Back to the present, and in closing, and also to complement my earlier post, whoever can address these issues, and is able to provide practical solutions to address them within 5-7 years can be sure of my vote!

شاهدت قبل قليل فيلم وثائقي بالمدونة “ساحة الصفاة“ واسمه “وعد الأحرار” والذي أعده مشكورين طلبة الكويت (فرع الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية)، فهو فيلم يسرد التاريخ السياسي والمسيرة الديمقراطية للكويت بستة أجزاء في غاية الروعة. لكم تمنيت أن أكون من مواليد تلك الفترة الجميلة بتاريخ الكويت برغم ما مرت به من ظروف صعبة. من خلال متابعتي لهذا الفيلم استشعرت بأننا بحاجة لرجال المواقف، رجال لطالما خدموا الكويت داخليا من خلال الحفاظ على الدستور واحترام مصالح البلد والشعب وخارجيا من خلال انضمامهم بالمحافل الدولية كممثلين للكويت وإظهارها بصورة مشرفة في شتى المجالات. إننا مقبلين على انتخابات جديدة يعلم الله ماهية نتائجها، فالإختيار الجيد لمرشحين أكفاء من شأنه إيصالنا إلى ما نصبوا إليه وهو رفعة شأن الكويت وتحقيق مصالحها، أما الإختيار السيء أو “الغير موفق” من شأنه أن يؤدي إلى استمرار الوضع “الردي” كما هو عليه أو أن يتم الإنحدار والوضع يكون من سيء إلى أسوأ ” لا قدر الله”. سألني صديق عزيز ذات يوم “منو أختار؟ أنا ماني متابع جيد للساحة السياسية في الكويت،أشلون أعرف منو المرشح الزين؟ كلهم يقولون كلام حلو هدفه الإصلاح وان الكويت هي الأهم؟”، جاوبته بالقول ” أفضل طريقة تشوف منو اللي يدعم المرشح من خلال حضور ندواته، على سبيل المثال لا الحصر ندوة العم أحمد السعدون والتي كانت خلال افتتاح مقره الإنتخابي السنة الماضية، كان من بين الحضور كلا من: العم الدكتور أحمد الخطيب، النائب السابق وليد الجري،النائب السابق مشاري العصيمي،الإقتصادي الكبير جاسم السعدون، وجود مثل هؤلاء الأشخاص يزيل أدنى شك موجود لديك تجاه هذا المرشح أو ذاك”، فعجبه الإقتراح وأتمنى يعجبكم.
والله ولي التوفيق

(تصوير: خليل البوريني – Al-Qabas)

The Kuwaiti ‘political street’ seems to indicate that current MPs such as Rajah Al-Hujailan, Khalid Al-Sultan, Abdulla Al-Roumi, Abdelwahid al-Awadhi, Nasser Al-Sane and Jaber Al-Mohailbi might not run for re-election. A few of these individuals cannot run due to a combination of negative public feedback stemming from their actions (verbal or otherwise) and gossip concerning their business ventures – running would leave them vulnerable to further personal attacks.

Jassim Al-Khorafi stated a while back that he would not run again, but I think that is still up in the air. When he gets that phone call he will run.

Ahmed Al-Sadoun will run again in the 3rd District.

There are reports that Khalid Al-Khalid might run in the 2nd District as opposed to the 3rd (where he had difficulty gaining electoral support).

Aseel Al-Awadhi is still mulling whether to run, but since she almost dislodged Nasser Al-Sane from the 10th position in the 3rd District, she should run, and stands an excellent chance of winning (even without her ‘National Democratic Alliance’ group).

Saleh Al-Mulla (3rd District) will run again.

There is a strong possibility that veterans Mishari Al-Anjari and Talal Al-Ayyar run again.

There are conflicting reports about Ali Al-Rashed, some stating he won’t run, others that he will.

Ahmed Al-Mulaifi might switch from the 3rd District to the 1st District.

These are preliminary reports and subject to change.

HH The Emir

We share more commonalities than differences. Getting democracies up and running isn’t such an easy task. All countries wrestle with the same issues – how to create laws that protect both majority rights and minority rights? How to restrain those in power, so that they may serve those they were elected to serve?

Many look at positions of power and think “How glorious! What fun it must be to be the President/ Emir / Minister! Their lives are full of parties and grand openings! They live to give speeches! I could do that!” What people don’t see is the true nature of leadership. The life of your Emir is filled with self-sacrifice. His leadership is a holy thing; a burden – he is the leader and servant of all his people.

I remember studying politics in college, to my surprise one of my professors informed us that Communism was the most efficient system for bringing chaotic political systems into order. The brutal infliction of communism on a nation does, indeed, bring order and institutions . . . until that system crumbles under it’s own weight, as do most totalitarian regimes.

It would be so easy to be a benevolent dictator. It would be so easy to rule a country, and to focus your resources on education, health care, roads, electricity, water and developing trade. Your Emir has chosen the harder path – leading his citizens to participate in the rule of the country.

It is a much more difficult challenge to bring citizens to responsible self-rule. Your Emir has the patience of Job; he has endured the antics and intricate dances of his House of Parliament with enormous endurance, allowing all the foolishness to play itself out on the Parliamentary stage. It is this servant, this Amir’s responsibility to ensure that his nation survives. It can only be with enormous sadness that he must – once again – dissolve the Parliament and call for new elections, hoping beyond hope that the newly elected will have a sense of responsibility and self-discipline to take the place of the posturing egoists in the current Parliament.

I cannot begin to imagine the cloak of responsibility that settled on his shoulders when he accepted the Emir-ship, just over three years ago. While he has his wise counselors, it must be an enormous weight on his shoulders, and ultimately, by the Grace of God, it is he who must make the most painful decisions for the greater good of his nation and its people.

The citizen also has a duty, a duty to look beyond selfish personal needs and to identify the greater needs of society. He or she have an obligation to fully analyze their candidates, to discover whether they are somber, balanced lawmakers – who deliberate, who seek consensus – as opposed to individuals eager for position, backed by delcarations of empty promises, who dance, posture, and bring shame to the position of Member of Parliament.

Your Emir on a daily basis takes on the great burden of managing a vast, complex nation. In return – and this is such a small thing – you should treasure your vote and cast it wisely.

The New Welcoming Sign At Kuwait Airport

Last May I posted the following:

“The government is in a much more vulnerable position than it was prior to the National Assembly being dissolved (there are loose ends hanging about…they won’t just disappear into thin air). If the government doesn’t deliver the Five Year Development program (i.e. hospitals, infrastructure, water and electricity) demanded by all faces of the political spectrum: Islamists, Liberals, Tribal, Shiite – and, frankly I doubt they will – a political powder keg will ignite. In other words, I expect the life expectancy of this new Parliament to be one year (I’ll see you at the polls again next Spring).”

Well it has happened hasn’t it? Not that it gives me any pleasure – voting again for the third time in four years is not my idea of progress. The next two months be prepared to listen to more pure, unadulterated electoral bullshit, rivaling a decade’s worth of KUNA wires.

Are you ready?

“Democracy has failed in Kuwait-” I hear this sentence a lot these days, the other most common sentiment is “I hope they dissolve the Parliament for ever.”
I find this strange, it is illogical, to buy into with the above statement since we have not even tasted democracy in Kuwait for that long. Now some may say “Kuwait has had a Parliament since 1963” which would make it 46 years but let us look at its age and productivity.
1963 – 1967 8 members resign in protests.
1967 – 1971 Vote rigging by Government – 7 members refuse seat in protest.
1971 – 1975
1975 – 1976 Dissolved
1981 – 1986 Districts modified from 10 to 25
1985 – 1986 Dissolved
1992 – 1996
1996 – 1999 Dissolved
1999 – 2003
2003 – 2006 Dissolved
2006 – 2008 Dissolved
In other words, we have a gap during 1976-1981 (5 years) and 1986 – 1992 (6 years) with no parliament – a total of 11 years. We have only had 3 full Parliamentary sessions without any ‘government intervention.’
We are young. We have not even completed 50 years of democracy, how the hell do we want democracy to mature if we keep treating like as a fad? The democratic experiment cannot be called a “failure” this fast, considering its young age. We must be patient.

MP Nasser Al-Duwaila hasn’t made any announcements the last hour.