An Idiot's Guide to Politics in Kuwait

Image taken from Arab Times Online

This post is actually a re-written article that I'd saved earlier, as part of my "Idiot's Guide To.." series, of which there's only been one article published so far (!). I hope you enjoy it as much as I've written it.

As with everyone else, I've watched closely the developments that took place since the Parliment was dissolved, all the vote-buying, tribal primaries, storming of the House Of Parliament, storming the Al Watan TV Headquarters, the scandals, etc., I followed every rotten political trick that was ever implemented in Kuwait during the last 12 months,  and here's my piece of mind:

Hayefism At It's Worst!

A while back I blogged about MP Hayef''s disgusting track record, as an MP and as a human being. Today, however, he's taken his anti-moderation antics to a whole new level. This so-called MP, and man of faith, has called for the religious leaders to 'consider sanctioning the death of the Syrian Ambassador in Kuwait'.

The Idiot's Guide to Voting in Kuwait

Now that our parliment has been dissolved, we can breath some relief, and remain hopeful of positive change yet to come. Now's our chance as a people to look beyond the BS and clearly identify who could be our proper and true representative to the government of our country.

Since the 2008 elections I've been blogging about such topics as who to vote for, what to expect from a candidate, what to expect from an MP, what happens when Democracy takes a second seat to personal gains, all towards relieving my frustrations - as a registered voter - at those who continually defy and defame Kuwait's society and democratic principles, beginning with social values, going through the Kuwaiti Constitution, and all the way to personal morales and principles-in that order of importance. I mention that intentionally in order to highlight a very important point:

The Kuwaiti Constitution is a reflection of Kuwaiti Morals, values and principles, it was an unwritten gentlemen's agreement between the families that established Kuwait as a center of commerce and their leaders, and remained this way until it was written and ratified as a full and comprehensive constitution on November 11th 1962. This is how it should be thought of, and this is how it should be preserved, in it's spirit, not just it's letter.

This means that, all things considered, the Kuwaiti Constitution is the Kuwaiti Identity, to deny it or modify it is to admit that the Kuwaiti Identity has changed. Therefore, by derivation, this means that to respond to calls to change the constitution is to admit that the society that this constitution regulates has already changed. If this holds true to those that seek to establish a Sharia-based constitution, then it is an admission that Kuwait's establishers erred, and as a result, all the freedoms and rules of justice and equality that were written in this constitution are, by association, all wrong.

These are the same rights and freedoms that such people like the Ummah Party, the ICM and the Salafists are enjoying: freedom of speech, expression, assembly, social security, religious practice, judicial impariality, the list goes on. Ironically, these are the same freedoms and liberties that they are asking to change and improve upon, but with a twist; Improvements should be in line with Islamic Sharia...or to be exact, their own interpretation of Islamic Sharia.

So who'se to say that the ICM are right, or the Ummah Party or the Salafists, or the National Islamic Alliance or Al Meethaq, or even the Democratic Alliance, for that matter?

I DO!

And so do you, and every other registered voter, we all have a a right to say who'se right or wrong. We all have a right to choose whoever among them to be our speakers. This is our given right, as free people, and as mandated by the constitution that was ratified by Kuwait's elders nearly 60 years ago, and observed and respected by their forefathers much older than that!

With this power, we can develop or destroy our country and everything else we stand for, not the Government. It is our power of choice that arms us against all threats, foreign and domestic, to our constitution and our country, and with this power we are required to choose who among us is best fit to represent our voices of concern and change.

But with power comes responsibility!

We are responsible to be weary and mindful of all that is within our hands, from powers and right to responsibilities and commitments. We are responsible for choosing who to elect based on sound, clear signs, first among them is the candidate's loaylty to Kuwait and NOTHING else, no political party, nor any religion, sect, creed or tribe. We must choose our candidates based on tangible results, and Developmental action plans, not promises of loan write-offs and increasing salaries!

What we don't need is;

1-A candidate who speaks in the language of Sharia, but in actual fact, is proven to benefit from non-sharia sources of income.

2-A Party that is calling to change our way of life!

3-A candidate who, right on the eve of a new elections period, decides to issue statements calling for some municipal improvements, when he should have called for them years ago!

4-An MP that suspects other MP's loyalties based on illegally-obtained evidence!

5-An MP that threatens a yet-uncreated Government right after the previous one resigned in order to propel his image as a defender!

...and that's just for starters!

What we need is someone that can create our vision into a reality, and is able to do so, politically, educationally and socially. Anything else is rubbish...food for thought.

Don´t vote for Al Wa´alaan!

Back in September 2007, I blogged about an article published by the Kuwait Times, about the shooting of a Korean labourer by a juvenile Kuwaiti youth. In today´s Al Nahar newspaper, it´s been reported that one of Mubarak Al Wa´alaan´s kids, or something, was playing around with his rifle, when he accidentally shot & killed the poor Korean worker, near the central prison complex.

I have three issues with this case:

1. How is it that a kid was left to shoot at anything unsupervised and unchecked?
2. How did Al Wa´alaan appeal the First Court´s ruling with a straight face??
3. Why was the Court´s ONLY ruling a KD 1´000 fine???

What´s REALLY ironic is comparing this issue with his own Objectives and Principles, as stated on his website, notably:

• Actions to fight financial and administrative corruption in state institutions
• Attention to youth (!) and activating the role of the state in support of youth & sports
• Attention to the people in the Security apparatus towards reducing the spread of corruption and enforcement of law
• Resolutely defend the morals & principles of Society

This is the same guy who filed a lawsuite in the Kuwaiti Courts about vote-rigging during the 2008 elections, and caused a stir by threatening to attend the first session of the new parliament as an elected MP, and backed down the night before the session took place.

I think I´ll be creating a journal of objectionalble MP candidates from now on!

What Does Hadas Want?

I've taken the liberty of translating a small section of Hadas' website, the one related to 'who they are', and here's what I've come up with:

The aim of the Islamic Constitutional Movement is to achieve the following strategic goals:

1. The development of the political system that aims to achieving greater popular participation, and to amend the Constitution of Kuwait in order to optimize the application of the principles and rules of Islam.

2. Implementing the elements of justice and equality between citizens, and the preservation of the principle of consultation in accordance with the fair precepts of Islam.

3. Building the Kuwaiti identity in accordance with Islamic and Arab characteristics, and to meet the needs of development in the country.

4. Emphasis on the sovereignty of the Kuwaiti people to the whole of its territory and secure the means of defense, in the framework of national unity based on the Holy verse, "and hold fast their faith in God and be not divided among yourselves".

5. Amending the economic system of the State to project the principle of equitable distribution of wealth, with access to said system via the diversification of the sources of income in accordance with the comprehensive and integrated principles of Islam.

6. Seek to establish core social, educational, and media systems in the country on the basis of Islamic thought and technology.

7. Seek to establish unity among Arab Gulf States towards achieving economic and political Arab and Islamic Unity and parity.

Here is my summary of the above:
1) We will change the Kuwaiti Constitution in order to reflect Islamic Shaira as the "only" source of rule in Kuwait
2) We will implement the principles of equality & justice according to Sharia
3) We will change the Kuwaiti Identity to that of an Islamic Identity in order to parallel the changes in goals (1) and (2) and (3).
4) We will defend Kuwait from aggression and threats, in accordance with Islamic Jurisprudence.
5) We will redistribute the Wealth of the State of Kuwait in order to give everyone an equal share of the revenue, in accordance with Islamic practices.
6) We will change the systems of Education, Society and the Media in order to align them to Sharia's Principles.
7) We will align with the Arab Gulf States towards greater economic and political strength.

And now, here is my interpretation;

1) We will bring down the current system of rule, and install a Sharia Council to rule in all things
2) We will resort to the Quran and our own interpretation of it and Sharia in equating between Men & Women.
3) We will create a single Muslim Identity in Kuwait, conformal to our own interpretations, and will not allow any other to exist in parallel.
4) We will wage a Jihad against all threats, foreign and domestic, against our Islamic Ummah.
5) We will have the first and last say in how the state's wealth is to be distributed.
6) We will destroy all means of traditional education, we will have one single slice of society under our guidance, and we will control the media outlets in order to preserve the order of things.
7) We will align with the 'Sunni' states of the Arabian Gulf against the Shiites and Iran.

Searching through Wikipedia, I found this link that states the goals and objectives of the Islamic Brotherhood Movement, and strangely enough, I found them to be in close relationship to each other, on both issues and goals.

Personally, I don't care much about this movement's Political aims, and as such, do not envision any of their adherents to by the recipients of my vote in the coming elections. I do not believe them to be the right people for Kuwait's needs, nor are they qualifieded to handle Kuwait's requirements.

Soon, theses issued will be debated, cross-examined and refuted and supported by many candidates, it's going to be interesting to see how Hadas fairs in the coming elections, especially in light of recent developments.....sooner or later, time will tell.

For Kuwait's Teenagers: Read This Post Please!

If you're birthday happens to be on or around the same year Kuwait was invaded and occupied by Iraq, this post should hopefully shed some light for you as to why Kuwait is going through all this political and economic turmoil these days.

If you're not there already, you will soon be of the age when you would be able to vote for your representative in the Kuwaiti parliament. It's a great responsibility, and it's nothing short of an honour to be a registered voter, since you would be able to send your Constitutional representative to speak "in your name" to the government, and help it in creating the atmosphere that you envision your contry to have.

I say 'your country', because it's still Kuwait for Kuwaitis, open to all who live & work in it with honor and dignity, but it's still ours, it still belongs to us, it's still vulnerable to misuse and threats, and it's YOUR responsibility to understand why, and how to protect it from these threats.

• In this link, I posted a transcript of some radio transmissions that occurred on August 2nd, 1990.
• In this link, I posted a few bits of information about Kuwait's Democratic History.
• In this link, I wrote about the difference between Kuwait's First Democratic days and today.

I hope this helps.

The Kuwaiti Banditos: The New replaces the Old!

The recent evens in Kuwait have taken a turn for the worse, with talk of dissolving the Parliment and calling for new elections, ranging to re-establishing the State to a Kingdom, with a Shura Council representing the people, with limited powers of oversight and authority, a la Bahrain style.

Musallam Al Barrak also presented his own set of questions, and while they're nothing more than hot air, they do eclipse that of the HADAS-inspired questions, and they're as follows:

1. Undermining the state authority by taking a number of decision and then backing down.


2. Failure to adopt a rational economic and financial policy to help citizens and employ surpluses from oil revenues.
   
3. Obstructing the functioning of the National Assembly by delaying the formation of the Cabinet.


4. Misuse of public funds at the prime minister's office.


5. Breach of the constitution by failing to submit the government program and the five-year development plan.
   

Here's my view:

1. For point (1), how does one undermine the state's authority by taking a decision, and then backing down? Isn't that supposed to be 'ceding to authority' instead??


2. For point (2), how does one adopt a rational economic policy when his authority is questioned time and again?


3. Mis using public funds (4) is now a case in the courts, so how does one question someone about something that's currently being processed in the Courts of Justice?

And while I agree to point (3), and to some extent, point (5), I can't help but relate them to point (1), making the entire issue directly linked to the question of Authority and it's execution. In order words, it's the fault of whoever is responsible for making the decision to "go" with whatever's on the table.

It all seemed a bit fishy to me, but I took a closer look at the photo in the article and discovered, not surprisingly, that it's nothing new! I've been writing about it for some time now...

Take a look;

This portion of the photo shows our Emirs, our past rulers, the ones who ran the country, established it's system of laws and constitution and sought to protect and develop it into a State of exceptional progress and equality.

Now, look at the second portion of the same photo;

These people are about to question the authority and accountability of the Prime Minister, and come March 17th, they will be flanked by the notorious Musallem Al Barrak.

Here now, is the complete picture, as displayed in today's newspaper;

For those of you who missed the irony, Al Pacino's "Don Corleone" character in the movie "The Godfather Part III" summarizes this picture quite accurately, "The new replaces the old", right after an assassination attempt was made by Joey Zaza on the heads of the other Mafia Families!

Kuwait is heading into a nosedive towards a flaming destruction, and nothing's being done except more and more animosity feeding the flames of destruction, both by the Government and the Parliment, and everyone else is crying out for a financial bailout package for the losers in the KSE fiasco!

Then there's the report of the Army Officers with bags of Counterfit KD and US$ banknotes, coming in on Military flights from Abu Dhabi to Kuwait. Today's Al Qabas also commented that a former MP, an existing MP and a religious leader have all come forward to intervene and release the two officers from jail!

And there's yet another report by Al Qabas, outlining the recent developments into the investigation of Terrorist activities in Kuwait, and the planned re-emergence of the Peninsula Lions in the GCC region, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to connect the dots!

So, on the one hand, we have MP's trying to demolish the system of government through political means, and on the other hand, we have MP's usurping their authority to free suspected terrorists and money launderers and financiers...all under the noses of the Government, and the Government is sitting idly by and letting it all happen.

Not by choice, it seems, but due to simple ineptitude!

It's as if things are deliberately being left alone to unravel as they are, and while the culpirts are well known, the victims don't yet realize what's happening. At face value, it looks like the state is heading towards self-destruction, but read between the lines and you'll realize that this is more than ineptitude! To me, it looks more like a deliberate attempt to reach a point-of-no-return, where the gloves go off and everything is subject to change-everything!

Right now, the way I see it, we're at the doorsteps of witnessing the final assassination of democratic life in Kuwait, with the bearded banditos holding the guns. What comes next is anyone's guess, but one thing's for sure, it won't be pleasant!

A Brief History of Democracy in Kuwait

Many may argue against this post, though I hope it ‘at least’ makes sense to most readers.

We’ve come to realize that democracy in Kuwait is something of a unique experience, especially to those of us that never saw Kuwait in it’s infancy, when man and machine consisted of wooden karts pulled by donkeys and mules. A time when issues of political concern were dealt with in an open forum, handled by the merchant families and their affiliates, debated on by the ruling family who-unlike every other family that lived in Kuwait at the time-received nothing but the respect and honor of their neighbors, just as they themselves acted and lived likewise.

Little of those early Kuwaitis ever cared about who was to rule them, be it Ottoman, Persian, German or the British, since all they cared about is to live and let live, nothing more and nothing less. The times were harsh, and the men that lived in those days adopted to those harsh times, and everyone considered their duties and responsibilities towards their families and those of their neighbors.

It comes as no surprise, then, that today’s blogging generation some of us take Kuwait’s experience in democracy as granted, or as one former educator once referred to it as ‘handed to us on a plate of Gold’, belittling the sacrifices and efforts of our forefathers, who suffered, fought and died in order to create what is today known as the “independent” State of Kuwait. People who fought and died during the Battle Of Jahra while fighting the "Ikhwan" threat, led by Al-Duwish, as well as others, like Abdullatif Alshaheen-Alghanim, Mish’an Al Khudhayr-Al Khalid, Yousef Al Marzouk, Ibrahim Al Mudhaf and Hilal Al Mutairi, who fought to establish an equal opportunity political establishment in Kuwait, just to name just a few.

The efforts of people such as these has compelled the system of rule in Kuwait to be one of a complementary nature, where the appointed branch of the ruling family shares it’s powers with the people of Kuwait under the umbrella of a constitution. It is this cohesion of power that has protected Kuwait from the many threats it faced over the years since it's independence, nothing and no one else! The very nature of this system of rule is as unique as it's circumstances, since where other democracies were obtained by wars, we the Kuwaitis obtained our own by mutual understanding and respect for each other's needs and opinions.

In all cases, never was the issue of racial or ethnic segregation ever prominent, nor was the issue of religious differences between Shia and Sunni in Kuwait a cause for discussion. In fact, those that highlighted these issues in public were quickly shunned and distanced from the community. All our forefathers lived together, fought together and died together, while worshiping one God, and pledging their allegiance to one country.

Fast-forward to the present, and you have Hadas, The KDA, the Wahhabists, the Tribalists, the Shiites (further divided into Arab and Persian, for God's sake!!), all congregating into individual groups, and all of them fighting for control of the country! And if that wasn't enough, they're all accusing each other of blasphemy, treason, treachery, vote-buying, favoritism, basically the ugly parts of ANY religious scripture, and we the people are left in the middle, exposed by the power- that-be to the injustices committed by these groups against the country and us.

The government, on the other hand, is trying to combat these groups by supposedly striking with an iron fist, issuing search warrants and threatening questionable candidates with disqualification, trying to look like it's doing it's job of combating corruption when-in effect-it's encouraging it. Since, logically, when you weaken a side confronting another side, you've effectively sided with someone, and have presented yourself as another face to the opposition. However, from a general perspective, they've effectively shown that they (the Government) have a serious face to their farcical track record, and that they're still in charge, and that they're still invoking the constitution onto the people who have themselves chosen it for themselves, and that they're still the Government, a Legal entity which demands respect.

Take a step back, read through Kuwait's History, consider the facts, follow up on the root causes of these negative phenomena, then ask yourself this question: What would YOU do to honor your country and it's history? Would you consider voting for those that speak in the name of Islam, or a sect of Islam, or even a tribe? Or would you consider those that speak of actual, planned and academically-studied reforms which will (as they had in the past) reap overwhelming benefits to Kuwait and it's people for many years after Oil becomes a thing of our past, like the pearl-diving trade?

Kuwait's Elections 2008 and the Weather

Watching the televised broadcasts of tribal candidates and other mass-distortion activities, I remembered coming across a clip on Youtube that described what I thought of these proceedings;

Kuwait: The Difference Between Then and Now

Back in the 1960's, right when Kuwait announced it's independence from being a British Protectorate to a full independent Emirate, our forefathers drafted one of the Arab World's most concise and fair Constitution. One that protects the Sovereignty of it's Ruling family while-at the same time-protecting the rights of it's subjects, who are the main source of jurisprudence, effectively creating a balance between the executive and legislative branches of any Democracy.

Back then, the State of Kuwait was basically a glorified town by other standards, so it was easy to discuss issues of the future of the country, infrastructure, development and the likes. One thing was the main common denominator amongst all the other variances in creed, sect or social structure, and that was the honest commitment to the advancement of Kuwait.

Development started to take a more visible role since Kuwait's independence, especially among the Government sector, in terms of Educational institutions, Public Health, Public Works, Regulatory bodies related to the finance and economy of Kuwait, etc. and all had one clear vision: To produce a state worthy of mention and long-lasting, governed by an institution that shares both the responsibility and the authority of caring for the people.

Those that knew what was in store for Kuwait invested in it, and in it's future, because they knew what that meant, both to Kuwait and to their own dependents. The merchant families, for example, created the "monetary cycle" in Kuwait by infusing their private wealth towards building the private sector (Import/Export companies, Banks, Retail & Wholesale stores, etc.) and supporting the Government sector with it, as well as encouraging other families to do the same.

The foreign migrant workers, searching for a stable and safe country, emigrated from all over the World (mostly the Middle East) and brought with them their expertise as well as their families. A new society, rich with it's diversity and distinctions, was born, and provided a keyhole to the rest of the world for the local Kuwaiti population, who became even more intrigued that they ever had been in the past with the idea of being part of a 'world community', that they sent their sons and daughters overseas to study and return with even more ideas and innovations of thought and development with which Kuwait can benefit.

Fast-forward to the present day..

-The last general hospital was build over 25 years ago, at a time when public health is deteriorating as a result of repeated wars and Global Warming.
-The Educational system has segregated male and female students, reducing it's effectiveness, in the midst of an Information Revolution that is still sweeping the globe.
-The essential services like Power and Water are mediocre at best, for 5 years in a row
-The country's Oil industry is long overdue for an upgrade, in the midst of a global expansion of wealth and trade.
-The people are crying out to the government to write off consumer loans and constantly asking for more money, ignoring the concept of future sustainability in a post-Oil world, around a mere 50 years from now.
-The people are asked to participate in a general election with little or no political education, neither by the government nor by the unofficial political parties.
-While it's political age barely reaching 40-something years, political parties are still banned by the government.
-Outside influences emanating from radical and extremist idealogical schools of thought are openly and publicly backing candidates, in full exposure to the Government, and in a country where political parties are banned (!)
-Corruption has reached a level where it is openly discussed on TV, and where vote-sellers actually have a 'bring a friend' program!

As it stands today, Kuwait is a mistake, and now's the time to correct this mistake. We are intelligent enough to get our own internet accounts and surf through the many blogs and websites that can enlighten us and assist us in selecting the right candidate who would propel us into the future, a bright and secure future, free of any idealogical or caste-based restrictions-DESPITE government threats to close down the blogs!

The elected MP will be a person who will be authorized by the people to represent them and become their voice in Parliament. In my books, and in my humble opinion, that is a distinct honor, especially since no one has a right to speak in my name but myself!

As free and determined we may be, we must compromise on issues that are presented to us from our opponents-whoever they may be, but not at the price of our freedoms and rights. Therefore we must vote for those candidates who would be capable of reaching a common ground among the many idealogical and political differences, and not candidates who promise to enforce their own way of life (or that of an exported belief system) onto everyone else, lest they rebel and cripple our political and social life!

We must chose the right person to have the honor of representing us rightly and fairly, not the one who deserves it the most!

Beware the Kuwaiti Candidate

Watch out for the Candidate that has the following attributes;
1-Shouts a lot
2-Waves a lot
3-Uses the word "inno" instead of "innaho", which is it's correct linguistic derivative!
4-Talks about salary increases like Kuwait was Wall Street.
5-Talks about segregation like it's demanded by God.
6-Talks about Economic Development in terms of 30year old facts, not actual statistics.
7-Doesn't have any actual statistics
8-Complains about bureaucratic problems in government departments without an actual solution except the promise of getting them done for his/her constituents.
9-Complains about the educational system's fallacies without coming up with actual solutions
10Talk like he/she backs Women's rights, but was never part of that political landscape at all!

Give your votes to these people, and you've given away the country to the microbial disease that's been infecting our society since the 1980's.

What Should We Expect?

With the race for elections at full steam these days, the electoral programs differ from one nominee to another. At one end of the spectrum, people talk about increasing salaries, subsidizing commodities and loan write-offs, others simply attach the incompetence of the government just to sound brave to the average person. At the other end, people talk about actual development projects and the challenges that await them, as well as the need to overcome these challenges in order to progress forward.

I agree that the Cost of Living in Kuwait has risen-thanks in part to the rising costs of energy-to the point where the average salaries that used to make ends meet just one year ago aren't cutting it anymore. I also agree that government subsidies should play a larger role in the development of the society, and I also agree that many Government-run services are in need of an overhaul. Something should be done to offset these shortcomings, but it should be something permanent and airtight, like a comprehensive development program, like updating the State's Educational system, or improving the infrastructure of Power and Water. It should not be a band-aid on an oozing wound, like loan write-offs or overnight salary hikes!


While I welcome the initiative, I think I can manage to make ends meet for a few more years until the economic situation improves to an extent where I wouldn't need to worry about my chidlren's future so much. I can sacrifice a few hours' of power blackout time while at the office for a year or two, if it means that for the next 25 years to come we'll be in the green, ditto for water, ditto for roads and new residential areas. I just can't tolerate living on a 'temporary measure' with auxiliary power generators working on diesel fuel, or being forced to purchase potable water from roaming water tankers for the rest of my life.

I need to know that whoever gets elected has the proper mindset to engage the Government in logical and practical dialogue towards the betterment of the society and it's future. I don't want to elect someone who will be bugging everyone to implement his or her own warped view of what a society "should" be or how it should follow his or her views or face a politically-damaging Parlimentary Questioning as a retaliation!

What gets me scratching my head is the utter contempt for the law when it comes to the primary elections of the tribal areas and the unofficial political parties. For one thing, people are breaking the law in order to become elected to enforce the law-which is a standing contradiction, no matter how you look at it!

Scope TV: KD 10'000 Reward!

I was half-asleep when I heard this on Scope TV! Here's the translation:

"Scope TV announces a reward of KD 10'000 (approx. US$37'600) to whoever presents clear, physical and tangible evidence of vote-buying, either via messages or video or voice recordings. Let us all work for a better Kuwait, combating the vote-buying phenomena."

So here's a thought; Suppose this is actually a legal promotion (since all promotions publicized through the local media have to have a commercial license from the Ministry of Commerce), wouldn't this, in effect, raise the value of the voter's selling price??

Then again, if anything, it only enforces what everybody's known all the time, that in some cases in Kuwait, a candidate's credibility is only as valuable as his (or her) Bank account!

Nabeeha Ta7alof is Back

"Nabeeha Ta7alof" is back on the air on the following settings:

Arabsat 3A
11623 Mhz
Vertical Polarity
27500 FEC 3/4



Other channels, Al Ummah and Almohim Q8 have also popped up while searching the above frequency, but still haven't aired anything besides their title screens.