ASSEMBLY SPEAKER, PROMINENT MP DOWNPLAY

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001449

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2015
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL KU NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
SUBJECT: ASSEMBLY SPEAKER, PROMINENT MP DOWNPLAY
DISSOLUTION RUMORS

REF: KUWAIT 1406

Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary and Comment: Responding to a week of press
speculation that Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmed
Al-Sabah would seek the dissolution of the National Assembly
in response to repeated ministerial grillings, National
Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi told local dailies April 9
that his talks with the Prime Minister indicated the PM would
attempt to resolve differences "with wisdom and caution."
During their meeting the same day, prominent MP and Chairman
of the International Relations Committee Mohammed Jassem
Al-Sager told the Ambassador the PM would avoid the
dissolution of the assembly for fear that the process of
forming a new government could expose Al-Sabah family rifts.
With the Amir and Crown Prince increasingly incapacitated,
internal family divisions do appear to be growing. If he is
to protect the reputation of the ruling family, Shaykh Sabah
must ensure his every action is calculated to balance a large
array of competing interests. End Summary and Comment.


2. (U) Speaking to local dailies April 9 upon his return to
Kuwait from travel abroad, National Assembly Speaker Jassem
Al-Khorafi said he had "not seen or heard from the ....Prime
Minister of any intention towards dissolving the assembly."
The Speaker, who had met with the PM and Deputy PM as well as
Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Mohammed Dhaifullah
Sharar the same day, said it was likely that the disputes
between the government and some MPs could be solved "through
discussion and dialogue, in accordance with constitutional
and democratic procedures."


3. (C) During an April 9 meeting with the Ambassador and the
Senior Advisor and Coordinator for Iraq Policy, Ambassador
Richard Jones (septel),MP Mohammed Jassem Al-Sager said it
was doubtful that the PM would seek to dissolve the Assembly.
Responding to a question from Ambassador LeBaron, Al-Sager
said there was "no truth to what the newspapers are saying
(about dissolution)." He said PM Shaykh Sabah would not ask
to dissolve the body because he does not want to expose rifts
inside the Al-Sabah family by attempting to form a new
government. Furthermore, the election of a new National
Assembly would provide "no guarantees" that current speaker
Jassem Al-Khorafi would be re-elected to his position or that
government-leaning and Progressive MPs would have a majority.
(Comment: Al-Sager clearly views the reelection of Al-Khorafi
and a government-leaning majority with mixed emotions. While
he recognizes they are both positive for the advancement of
progressive policies, he is also wary of an excessively
pro-government National Assembly. He sarcastically noted
that the current National Assembly, which he referred to as
the "weakest ever," had failed to "impeach" even one
Minister, despite repeated attempts. End Comment.)

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LEBARON