SHI'A INFORMATION MINISTER RESIGNS AMID SCANDAL;

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 000036 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2014 TAGS: PGOV KISL KPAO PINR KU SUBJECT: SHI'A INFORMATION MINISTER RESIGNS AMID SCANDAL; ISLAMISTS CLAIM VICTORY, BUT LIBERAL OUTRAGE LED TO HIS OUSTER REF: A. 04 KUWAIT 4540 ¶B. 04 KUWAIT 1519 ¶C. 04 KUWAIT 0949 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) ¶1. (C) Summary: Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah accepted, on January 2, the resignation of Information Minister Mohammed Abulhassan, preempting what was certain to be a difficult grilling of Abulhassan during the January 3 session of Parliament. Although Islamists were preparing to grill the Information Minister for a number of "moral" shortcomings, it was a recent and controversial decision by Abulhassan -- which some assert came from the Prime Minister -- to nullify a Supreme Court ruling calling for the liquidation of the assets of a prominent Kuwait daily that galvanized many non-Islamists against him, ultimately leading to his downfall. This resignation, despite being driven in part by liberals, is a victory for the Sunni Islamists and highlights their ability to influence the GOK. Speculation about the extent of the cabinet reshuffle is growing as press contacts also shared unconfirmed rumors reporting the acceptance of Finance Minister Mahmoud Al-Nouri's resignation -- Al-Nouri tendered his resignation in early 2004, however, it was never accepted by Shaykh Sabah. Social Affairs and Labor Minister Faisal Al-Hajji will temporarily assume the Information Ministry portfolio. End Summary. A Political Win for the Islamists -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah accepted the resignation of Information Minister Mohammed Abulhassan on January 2. Abulhassan wrote in his resignation letter that he was stepping down to end political infighting and to preserve national unity. In resigning, Abulhassan has avoided what was certain to be a damaging grilling for the PM's cabinet and a possible upsurge in sectarian arguments -- something PM Shaykh Sabah was keen to avoid. News dailies and pundits, of all political stripes, including some who previously called for the Minister's resignation, hailed the decision as "courageous" and a "brave step," arguing his departure removed a point of contention from Islamists and liberals alike. Social Affairs and Labor Minister Faisal Al-Hajji is expected to act as the interim Information Minister until a permanent replacement is made. �00A;¶3. (SBU) Although it was not the rhetorical attacks from Islamists that finally led to Abulhassan's resignation, his stepping down is clearly seen as a victory for the Islamic bloc. Several Salafi Islamist MPs have been colluding to grill Abulhassan, a liberal and the only Shi'a in the Cabinet, since he assumed his post in the summer of 2003 (ref B). Their efforts, mostly along sectarian lines, increased after a series of television programs such as 'Star Academy' and 'Super Star' were aired, reaching a fever pitch after a May 2004 music concert in Kuwait featuring celebrities from the Star Academy program. (Note: After extensive Islamist pressure in 2004, the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs drafted new concert regulations which prohibit vulgar language at concerts, bar women and men from mixing, and prevent female musicians from singing in front of men and from wearing "indecent" clothes. Additionally, the Ministry of Information on January 1, 2005 issued a decree banning live concerts in all hotels in Kuwait. Prior to the decree, hotel venues were seen as a way to bypass the Islamist concert prohibitions. End Note.) ¶4. (SBU) The most recent controversy surrounding the Information Minister was his decision to ban local hotels from holding New Year's celebrations, a clear concession to the Islamists which came under fire from moderates and liberals. (Note: Although GOK offices are closed on New Year's day, public celebrations on New Year's eve are not publicly acceptable. Most parties held by Kuwaitis and expats are private functions designed to draw neither public attention nor criticism. End Note.) In the press, some Kuwaiti liberals have accused the GOK of making "secret deals with the Islamists at the cost of freedoms guaranteed by the Kuwaiti constitution." Abulhassan's Fatal Misstep... -------------- ¶5. (SBU) What was anticipated to be a feckless grilling of the Information Minister by Islamists quickly turned into a genuine imbroglio that led directly to Abulhassan's decision to step down. The Minister's late 2004 decision to nullify a Court of Cassation -- Kuwait's Supreme Court -- ruling regarding the ownership of a Kuwait newspaper provoked widespread outrage, especially among moderate and liberal MPs. The controversial decision led to a lawsuit against the Information Minister for his decision to overrule the Supreme Court's judgment calling for liquidating the assets of the publishing house of prominent Kuwait daily "Al-Rai Al-Aam." The Minister's decision prevented the liquidation of the company, which is required under Kuwaiti law in light of ownership disputes between majority shareholder, editor-in-chief Jassem Boodai, and the company's minority shareholders. ¶6. (SBU) The Council of Ministers reportedly froze the Information Minister's controversial decision, however, the move by Abulhassan netted him many non-Islamist detractors only weeks before his Parliamentary grilling was scheduled to take place. Many non-Islamists, including prominent liberals, spoke out against Abulhassan's actions. Because of the scandal, there were likely to be enough MPs to call for a vote of no-confidence and oust the minister. A number of MPs, who had been prepared to defend Abulhassan from the Islamist charges of "moral" corruption, shifted their stance against him because of his decision. ...May Have Been PM's Mistake -------------- ¶7. (C) A senior contact at Al-Rai Al-Aam informed the Embassy that PM Shaykh Sabah insisted that the paper remain controlled by his close friend Jassem Boodai. The contact regarded this information as well-known and also said that the PM was growing tired of Abulhassan. (Comment: While we cannot confirm Shaykh Sabah's role in this matter, many Kuwaitis do believe, as PolOff was reminded by several contacts during a January 3 visit to the National Assembly, that the Information Minister would never have taken the decision on his own to nullify a supreme court ruling and that it was indeed directed by PM Shaykh Sabah. This belief is feeding rumors throughout Kuwait that Shaykh Sabah accepted Abulhassan's resignation to protect himself from his own mistake. End Comment.) Finance Minister Out and Other Rumors -------------- ¶8. (C) The turmoil caused by the Information Minister's latest actions may have opened the door for other ministerial changes. Press contacts claim, although we are unable to confirm, that Finance Minister Mahmoud Al-Nouri's resignation has also been accepted. Al-Nouri, after his grilling in March 2004, reportedly tendered his resignation to PM Shaykh Sabah, who refused to accept it. Al-Nouri, who narrowly escaped being ousted (ref C),is very ill and Embassy contacts report that he has wanted to step down for health reasons, but has been unable to because of Shaykh Sabah's request that he stay on. ¶9. (C) Word is also already spreading regarding the extent of the possible cabinet changes. Some Embassy contacts expect up to five ministers to be replaced in a reshuffle, including Education Minister Dr. Rashid Al-Hamad. Another contact mentioned three names as possible replacements for Abulhassan: the PM's media advisor Sami Al-Nisf, Journalist and university professor Dr. Anas Al-Rashid, and Secretary General of the Kuwait Journalists Association Faisal Al-Qinaei. Some news dailies have further speculated that Shaykh Mohammed Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, a young, but influential ruling-family member (ref A) and prominent Kuwaiti intellectual and Professor of sociology Dr. Mohammed Al-Rumaihi are also on the short-list for elevation to cabinet posts. Comment -------------- ¶10. (C) Shaykh Sabah, in allowing his Information Minister to resign, most likely concluded that Abulhassan was irredeemable. Even if he could have saved the Information Minister from an almost certain vote of no-confidence, he is likely to have determined that it would have cost too much political capital to do so. Additionally, Abulhassan was his only Shi'a Minister, and as such was under constant siege from the Islamists, thereby drawing much unwanted attention to all of his activities. The PM's decision to accept the resignation may also be an indicator that he is tiring of the unyielding efforts by the National Assembly to grill his ministers. ¶11. (C) Even though it was liberal outrage -- outrage possibly caused by the PM and not his minister --- that clinched Abulhassan's political demise, Islamists are likely to be emboldened to pursue an even greater social agenda as a result. There is much speculation that Sabah Al-Ahmed also feared that this grilling would lead to great sectarian upheaval and chose to accept Abulhassan's resignation rather than face a firestorm from Islamists and liberals in Parliament, as well as avoiding a surge of arguments along sectarian lines. Although many regard this resignation as good for the country, it clearly must be viewed as a political victory for the Islamists and it is unlikely that the next information minister, unless an Islamist himself, will escape the attacks of the conservative Islamists in Parliament. ********************************************* 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 ********************************************* LEBARON