Last month, His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah inaugurated the last session of the current National Assembly, which was elected in 2016. But the Kuwaiti political scene in recent weeks has witnessed several movements by different parliamentary and popular groups - silent public protests, parliamentary grillings and consultations between political groups. Islamists, former MPs and independents are all preparing for the next election scheduled in 2020.

Last week was a feverish week for political action between the government and the National Assembly, which opposes the government's administration and its handling of public issues. His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah presented the resignation of the government to His Highness the Amir in order to rearrange ministerial work. This is the seventh resignation of the government, the latest of which was formed in Dec 2017.

The government is now gone, but the National Assembly remains. Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanem said His Highness the Amir does not intend to dissolve the parliament at this time. Last Tuesday witnessed grillings of the ministers of public works and interior. The minister of public works, who is also the minister of state for housing affairs, announced her resignation after a stormy questioning session.

My wish now, as a citizen, voter and woman, is that the government will bring personalities who are willing and capable of cooperating and working with all political parties, including deputies and people. There are important issues for the people and the government needs to address them radically. The first is the loans of retirees from the social security body, and they are not a large category. There is also the problem of stateless residents (bedoons), which has been declared by Ghanem as an important political and humanitarian issue. Other topics such as unemployment and the high cost of living need to be addressed.

People need the legislative and executive authorities to rearrange the priorities of the people, and every voter must not fall behind their role and ignore their responsibility as a citizen. Therefore, it is not surprising that the general atmosphere is dominated by preparations for the upcoming election. It is the right of people to demand reform and achieve the best. The government, the parliament and the people are all under one roof of our Kuwaiti house.

While the weather in Kuwait is getting cold, it is not so on the political level, especially with the next elections scheduled for 2020.

By Muna Al-Fuzai
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