MUNICIPAL COUNCIL: KUWAITI WOMEN'S SECOND VOTING

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001401

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM KWMN KU WOMEN POLITICAL RIGHTS
SUBJECT: MUNICIPAL COUNCIL: KUWAITI WOMEN'S SECOND VOTING
RIGHTS BATTLEGROUND

Classified By: DCM Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) Summary: The Kuwaiti women's political participation
debate has erupted on a second front: the Municipal Council.
A new Municipality Law went into effect March 20 but without
reference to the article that would have permitted women to
vote, run for office and serve on the Municipal Council. Now,
however, the Government has submitted an amendment to
Parliament to reinstate the withdrawn article. The GOK claims
municipal voting is merely the first step toward women's
suffrage on the national level. Skeptics counter that this
tactic will pacify Islamists opposed to full voting rights
and effectively derail the movement for broader women's
political participation. End summary.


2. (U) The GOK sent a Municipality Law amendment to the
National Assembly April 5 to permit Kuwaiti women to vote in
elections for, and participate on, the Municipal Council. The
new law went into effect March 20 by Amiri decree, but the
GOK removed Article 3, which would have granted women
participatory rights, before enacting the legislation after
MPs initially balked. The amendment has been referred to the
Parliament's Public Utilities Committee, which will issue a
report before the full Assembly can vote. Press reports and
contacts indicate the amendment will pass with broad support.
Even those MPs, including Islamists, who oppose women's
participation at the national level support this measure.


3. (C) The GOK views this move as the first step toward full
political participation for Kuwaiti women. Critics, such as
activist Dr. Moudi Al-Humoud, however, charge that this
half-measure may stymie efforts to grant full voting rights
to women. Al-Humoud told poloff April 6 that National
Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi favors the step-by-step
approach and is trying to convince Prime Minister Shaykh
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to abandon the push for
women's suffrage in favor of this gradual method. She fears
Al-Khorafi may succeed.


4. (U) In addition, many Kuwaiti women who currently support
full voting rights may be satisfied with Municipal
participation thus removing their voices from the calls for
full suffrage. The loss of these women would debilitate a
poorly organized voting rights' campaign that already suffers
from apathy.


5. (U) The Municipal Council oversees technical issues, such
as zoning, roads and permits. There is currently only one
Council for the entire country. It consists of 10 elected and
six Government-appointed members and reports to Mohammed
Daifallah Sharar, Deputy Premier and Minister of State for
Cabinet and National Assembly Affairs.

*********************************************
Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/

You can also access this site through the
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website
*********************************************
TUELLER