Who Leads Public Opinion?
Amidst the circulation of rumors, speculations, and unsubstantiated claims—particularly those of a sensitive political and legal nature—and in light of the silence from the relevant official authorities and the lack of commentary from the Council of Ministers, the question inevitably resurfaces, as it does with such developments: Who is leading public opinion, and who is contributing to its formation?
Do rumors and speculations have a legitimate space from both political and legal perspectives? Certainly not.
The rule of law and its application are not limited to purely security aspects; rather, they extend to enhancing trust in the government as the decision-making institution, consolidating transparency in its policies and decisions, and binding official bodies and ministers to it, so that the political decision-making institution serves as a model and reference for the executive apparatus.
Furthermore, building trust is not achieved by betting on non-developmental projects or those lacking priority, but by entrenching the principles of governance and popular partnership in the formulation of decisions and policies, for the prosperity and advancement of the country.
The latest issue raised by a British newspaper concerning Kuwait involved one of the distinguished Sheikh members of the Al-Sabah family, who is the head of an important and sensitive economic authority and enjoys an excellent international and regional reputation. Should we wait for further external media coverage before hearing an official clarification that places the facts in their proper context?
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The issue of investments in Spain during the Iraqi invasion became a matter of public opinion outside Kuwait, and some foreign media outlets launched a media campaign against Kuwait at the time, until the state began to counter it with arguments, decisions, and firmness to cut off the spread of rumors, speculation, and slander within and outside Kuwait. The same was true regarding the "tanker case."
Here, it is necessary to honestly and gratefully recall the role of the dear Dr. Fahad Al-Rashid in adopting a public complaint in 2008 against the former Director General of the Public Institution for Social Security, Fahad Al-Rajjan, who was later announced to have died outside Kuwait. Without this individual effort, the case might not have moved forward as we later witnessed before the legal authorities.
Should we wait for the "Qabida and Dafi'a" case—metaphorically referring to the file involving millions in deposits, as raised at the time in the National Assembly—to become material in foreign press before we hear a government voice that puts an end to doubts and speculations?
This file took on political, social, and legal dimensions that stirred the National Assembly at the time, and divergent positions and opinions emerged regarding it. Some defended the legitimacy of payments from private accounts, regardless of position, while questions were raised about the causal relationship behind the payment of large sums of money to some members of the National Assembly.
Perhaps the reports about reopening investigations, if true, would allow for the completion of legal aspects and procedures that previous circumstances prevented from being fully carried out, and would present the facts to public opinion away from speculation.
We reiterate our call to His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, to set matters right and direct the relevant authorities to clarify the validity of what is being circulated regarding this file, which has sparked and continues to spark considerable controversy, so that we deal with official facts and information, not illusions, speculations, and rumors.
Public opinion should not be led by rumors, nor should an information vacuum be left for speculation; rather, it should be led by the truth when state institutions speak clearly, transparently, and in a timely manner.
