The never-ending story. I am sure you already guessed what I am going to write about: The Parliament and the Honorable Gentlemen. Be it the one of the long list of previous parliaments of 2009 or the new short-lived parliament of 2012. We are a distinguished lucky nation? Whoever had six parliaments in the span of six years. We can make it to the Guinness book of world records, I am sure.

Anyways, many of the MPs in 2009 were re-elected in 2012. I do not see any difference between the two parliaments except for the four women MPs, bless them Aseel, Rola, Salwa and Massouma. Of course, we had our famous veteran speaker of the house Jassem Al-Kharafi. But what changed in the performance of the two parliaments?

I still remember like it was yesterday the whole nation was criticizing the 2009 parliament. We begged His Highness the Amir to dissolve it and then only after the new MPs were elected in 2012 we started begging again. They kept the same threatening and grilling tone, wasting the sessions’ time, discussing nothing serious at all except the prejudices, special interests, sectarianism. The latest parliament became even more tribal than the 2009 edition.

The 2009 parliament was reinstated by the judiciary. We are in a dilemma again. The fights and disputes between MPs from the two parliaments – allies and foes. Who suffers in the end of all this? Kuwait. Kuwait has been suffering since its liberation. We haven’t seen neither strong government nor a strong parliament. Both of them stab each other in the back and they forget. Maybe this is the non-cured fever of the invasion. I don’t know.

On that black day 21 years ago, Kuwait was invaded, but Allah was merciful on us and we got liberated. I feel we did not get liberated inside our souls. Why the mad fights. Nothing has been accomplished in my country since then. All I hear from both government and parliament is rhetoric. I don’t know whether these people live in cuckoo land? Don’t they feel the tension surrounding us – Iran from one side, Iraq from the other and Saudi from the third side.

The chaos in Bahrain, the threats of Israel and US to hit Iran, the threats from Iran to close Hormuz Strait, the Arab Spring which is slowly spreading everywhere – and on top of all this, the west hovering over our heads selling us heavy weaponry which costs billions which we might not even need. Even if we need them I wonder if we have the right people who know how to use it, if God forbid, we ever need to use it. Don’t they feel the tension which started sweeping across the Gulf. No country is spared.

I don’t know what’s the agenda for Kuwait. All we need is a dispute between Mutair, Al-Azmi, Juwaihel or other Juwaihels, or few members of the ruling family, MPs, the government, Sunni, Shiite etc. Wake up guys before it is too late! Look at how other nations are suffering. Please, do not sacrifice Kuwait for your egos, arrogance and ignorance. God bless Kuwait!

By Badrya Darwish
badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net
http://twitter.com/badryad