Manama Kuwait’s new parliament elected a veteran politician and three-time speaker Ahmad Al Sa’adoun as speaker of the house Wednesday.
Earlier, Kuwait’s Emir welcomed the country’s lawmakers to the 14th legislative term, expressing hope they will serve the nation and its people to the best of their capabilities.
“I would like to congratulate everybody on the voting process, which was carried out in an environment of freedom and democracy - something which was admired and commended by the people as well as Arab and international observers,” Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah said as he opened the session.
“We are at the crossroads of a new stage of democratic parliamentary practice. It is not right and it is not acceptable that while we celebrate 50 years of our parliament, we talk about a parliamentary ‘experiment,” he said, quoted by Kuwait News Agency (Kuna).
Kuwait should instead highlight its forward-looking progress that has resisted formidable challenges and onslaughts, he said.
“It is our duty to work to boost our progress towards grand objectives based on lessons drawn from past mistakes,” Shaikh Sabah said.
The Emir said that the unprecedented clashes in the run-up to the elections were not related to freedom or democracy, but rather a flagrant violation of the law and local values and a terrible omen for the nation.
“We reject any attempt to slander people or to hurt their dignity. Such acts are not a form of bravery or freedom. We totally reject any breach of the law or any attempt for people to take the law into their hands... Kuwait remains a nation of institutions and law,” he told the 50 lawmakers who were elected on February 2. “Kuwait will always remain a state of law and institutions and its fair justice system is the only resort for whoever has rights.”
The Emir said the nation faced local challenges and external threats that required all Kuwaiti to unite and work together.
“Confronting the challenges should top your priorities and the focus of most of your interests. Consolidating national unity, resisting seditions and divisions, using the media in a noble way without sensationalism or fuelling divisions and ensuring that basic and public rights are respected should be your main mission,” he said.
Fighting corruption and financial irregularities and promoting transparency and honesty should also be among the objectives of the parliament, he said.
Referring to education and youth, the Emir called on the parliament to ensure the improvement of curricula and learning standards to the level of the advanced world and the expansion of initiatives for the youth.
