We expect more from Shoura Council

The Shoura Council has been using rather offensive and prosaic language lately in describing the performance of government departments.
This kind of language is not what Saudis are expecting from this body. It’s true that we are all calling for more transparency when dealing with government issues. But the Shoura Council should not be increasing its criticism to satisfy the desire of citizens to hear such criticism.
The Shoura Council should reflect public opinion, not use the language of the street.
We frequently hear and see in the media, “The Shoura members criticized ...” Or “The Shoura members stormed ...” It appears that the Council can only produce criticism and not solutions.
So, what are the issues the Council is supposed to solve? It needs no expert to answer this question. The most important things Saudis worry about are housing, jobs, health, education and services. Are these mysteries that cannot be solved?
I cannot explain the Council’s failure to solve these main issues. Yes, there are efforts made but they are not up to the size of the problem. Otherwise, how can we explain the shortage of houses in one of the biggest economies in the world?
There are a number of other crucial questions here. Why does this country, which is rich in resources, have such a high percentage of unemployed people? Why have billions of riyals failed to produce a developed education system? How can we explain the lousy services provided to people although we spent huge amounts of money to develop them?
We are rendered speechless in the face of these questions. Corruption cannot be the only answer. By continuously blaming corruption we claim that there was no poor planning.
We look to the Shoura Council to find out what went wrong and to find solutions, not to make fun of government departments.
The Shoura Council has a poor record over the last 20 years in terms of trying to sort out problems. All the issues that the Council was supposed to have discussed have worsened.
The Shoura Council is not living up to our expectations. There appears only to be honorary positions on the Council with no one really caring whether sessions take place or not.
I was really taken aback at one stage when the Council asked for it to be awarded the King Abdul Aziz medal for its “unique efforts.”
The only effort it has made recently has been to hold government departments in contempt.