Since the Consumer Protection Society was established, its chairman Muhammad Al-Hamad has never ceased complaining about his weakness and his inability to control prices and protect consumers simply because he is unable to empower society’s role in doing so. I started questioning: If the man is so weak, why doesn’t he resign and give someone else a chance to do the job? The society is a civil organization established to achieve specific goals. It was not set up be mere window dressing on the shelf of numerous civil societies or to publicize photographs of its officials in the media or to be a hollow echo for the voice of the consumers!
The inability of the newly-established society and the continuous complaining by its chairman and his lack of tools makes me wonder: Where were these problems and shortcomings during the foundation stage? Why did the founders ignore them? Why did they fail to take them into account when the society was first established?
Some civil societies are useless at birth or incapable of doing anything because the founders put on paper objectives and dreams that were not related to reality and its challenges. When the time comes to realize these dreams, societies find themselves confronting the reality as it they were alien to it. It is to be noted that the manufacture of a car alone does not make it run. It is the fuel that makes it move and the driver who drives it.
Al-Hamad has three options: Either to engrave in stone to enable the society to undertake its role, give in and hand over the leadership to another man or close down the doors of the society forever. The consumer needs a society that can protect his interests and defend his rights, not one that will share his sobs and tears.
