Viewpoint: Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah
Our national march, which urges the pursuit of comprehensive sustainable development, is confronted by external dangers and difficult internal challenges.
The internal challenge facing our national march is the necessity and inevitability of reforming our economy, which suffers from gross structural imbalances stemming from our reliance on a singular and depleting natural resource – oil. This reliance carries with it all the burdens and associated repercussions of the oil market and its fluctuations.
Therefore, the economic reform programme must diversify our sources of income, enhance non-oil revenues and focus on developing Kuwait’s human resources via education, training and qualifications. It must also aim to rationalise public spending, address wasteful areas and improve the efficiency of the government’s performance to build a new and promising future for Kuwait – as we wish it to be. We should all cooperate in the building of Kuwait’s future and the deepening of its solid foundations.
In view of developments and economic changes, it is unacceptable to see proposals and projects that do not serve the efforts of reforming the national economy, and instead serve to oppose them, weakening them and harming the interests of the country. In the face of recent developments and challenges, Parliament must spearhead the necessary corrections to maintain and strengthen our most important national gains.
We will continue our commitment to our constitution, which is the basic guarantee for the security and stability of the country. Indeed, our belief in the democratic approach is deep, and we must continue to evaluate our democratic process, while addressing its negative aspects and manifestations. We will work to uphold responsible, substantive and serious accountability, which is governed by both the constitution and the law, and imposed by the national interest. The country’s parliamentary practices need to mature. For this, everyone needs to be fully aware of the seriousness of the current political, security and economic situation, and this awareness must be reflected in all practices. The external dangers facing our country include the civil wars and armed conflicts in our region, of which we experience collateral damage. Although Kuwait boasts safety, security, stability and prosperity, we are surrounded by dangers that threaten our country. Security is the basis upon which all other interests and services rely, and if there is insecurity, public life is disrupted.
Therefore, our primary concern is the security and stability of Kuwait, with our national unity being our primary objective and goal. Unfortunately, contrary to our hopes and wishes, there is the possibility that the current instability in the region will escalate further. We all have to be aware of these dangers, as they represent an explicit call for regional and international interventions. These conflicts have extremely damaging and destructive effects on both the security of the Gulf states and of their peoples. Our objective is the reconciliation and the restoration of security and stability in the region.
The GCC is a glimmer of hope and a model worthy of emulation for constructive harmony and cooperation in the greater Arab nation. Here, I call on my fellow citizens to abide by our approach of calming things down and avoiding the absurd war of words in order to contain this crisis and overcome it. What brings us together is far greater and far stronger than what divides us, so let us focus on keeping the GCC as an symbol of pride, security and prosperity.
In conclusion, by understanding and being aware of current dangers and challenges, we will be better equipped to shoulder the responsibility of effecting the anticipated cooperation between the Assembly and the government, opening a new page for the hopes and aspirations of the people of Kuwait, which can overcome all pitfalls, and keep Kuwait as a beacon for civilisation and an oasis for security and prosperity.
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