Ayoon Wa Azan (A parliamentary achievement in Kuwait)

The people of Kuwait have dealt the obstinate opposition a humiliating blow. Indeed, the turnout in the elections, in the heat of the summer and during the holy fasting month, exceeded all expectations, or my expectations. I read that turnout was 52.5 percent, a good percentage by Kuwaiti standards. Some in the opposition boycotted the previous elections near the end of last year. Then they realized their mistake, and ended their boycott this time because they want participation in government, which cannot be realized without taking part in the political process. But others in the opposition remained intransigent, and took pride in sin, insisting on the boycott even after their tribes said that they would take part in the vote. So I salute al-Ajman, al-Awazem, al-Mateira, and every other tribe or individual citizen who participated in the election. My constant opinion is that Kuwait is the top Arab country in terms of living standards, with the next Arab country occupying 15th or 16th place rather than 2nd. Indeed, Kuwait combines three important characteristics: Safe borders, a broad democratic margin, and high oil revenues. Other Arab countries may have one or two of these, but only Kuwait has clearly combined all three. Incidentally, I saw that Sheikh Nasser Mohammad, Sheikh Salman Al-Hamoud, and brother Jassem al-Kharafi were all optimistic over the turnout as a good sign for the future, and I share their optimism. When a person faces a problem, they usually attempt to solve it. If a person has no problem, he or she is usually happy. But when some in Kuwait find themselves without any problems, they like to invent one. I call on the people of Kuwait to take advantage of what God has blessed them with, and take a vacation in Eid for some travel and recreation. When they return, they will find that their country will still be where it was, in safety and security. My appeal includes the opposition as well, although some in it do not deserve a vacation, but only to remain under the scorching sun and the hot air; but I am forgiving and generous. I will content myself today with one more criticism of the opposition: When I was in Kuwait, I heard that some accused me of calling opposition figures “street urchins.’ But this is a deliberately partial reading […]. What I said, word for word, was this: “Now, these dissenters have chosen to take to the streets, because half of them are street urchins. This is while I appreciate many in the opposition whom I believe are some of the finest people there are, and my disagreement with them is only a difference in opinion. Indeed, I do not confuse patriotic dissenters with the demagogic street urchins.” The above means that every member of the opposition who claimed that I called the entire opposition “street urchins” classes himself as such, because he could have otherwise said that he belongs to the patriotic opposition that I mentioned in the article, and which I respect greatly. From objecting to some in the opposition to objecting to all Kuwaiti voters, whether they took part or boycotted the election, I want to shed light on the fact that only two female candidates won, although Kuwaiti women have participated extensively in building their homeland since before independence. Kuwaiti women always come ahead of their male peers in education, and females are a majority among voters with 53.12 percent of the total, or 27,512 votes more than male votes. The winning female candidates are Dr. Massouma al-Mubarak and Safaa Al-Hashem, who are of the finest caliber, and have a rich track record in parliament and public life that speaks for itself […]. In Kuwait, I read in Al-Watan, quoting Dr. Abdullah Sahar, director of the Central Administration for Statistics, that the average monthly spending of the Kuwaiti family is 3,723 dinars, or more than $12,000, and this is a high number that 99 percent of the families of this world probably covet. People of Kuwait, enjoy your lives. Kuwait has citizens of the highest caliber of competence and patriotism. While there is no such thing as a perfect country in the world, and while every regime can be reformed and corruption in it combated, you have Emir Sabah Al Ahmad, Prime Minister Jaber Al Mubarak, and before him, Nasser Al Mohammad. Among those I know very well is Information Minister Salman Al Hamoud, and if there are some who cannot deal with these leaders then it is them who are at fault and not the regime or its leadership. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arabstoday.