FREEDOM AGENDA: GOK FORMS MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004460

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL KU PDEM FREEDOM AGENDA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: GOK FORMS MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE TO
STUDY REDUCTION OF ELECTORAL DISTRICTS

REF: KUWAIT 4406

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


1. (SBU) The GOK has formed a ministerial-level committee to
"study" proposals to reduce the number of electoral districts
from 25 to 10, or fewer, and to register voters based on
their civil identification numbers. The six-person committee
is headed by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior
Minister Shaykh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Other
members of the committee are: Deputy Prime Minister and State
Minister for Cabinet Affairs and State Minister for National
Assembly Affairs Mohammed Dhifallah Sharar, Minister of
Energy Shaykh Ahmed Al-Fahd Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,
Minister of Justice and Minister of Public Works Dr. Ahmed
Baqer, Minister of Planning and State Minister for
Administrative Development Affairs Dr. Ma'souma Al-Mubarak,
and Minister of Information Dr. Anas Al-Rasheed. The
committee will submit its study to the Council of Ministers
"when it is finalized," Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.


2. (C) COMMENT: Most of our contacts believe that electoral
reforms will not now be taken up this calendar year, with the
reform emphasis now focusing on the revised Press Law, which
most believe will be passed. (The GOK will also spend
considerable capital getting the huge project for exploring
the northern oilfields -- Project Kuwait -- passed.)
Formation of a committee is a time-honored way to kill an
idea, but the committee contains at least two strong
supporters of electoral reform, although they are the most
junior: the Planning Minister and the Information Minister.
The Energy Minister has not shown his cards publicly but most
put him in the against camp, believing that he is quite
comfortable with the way the current system allows the powers
that be to influence legislators. The other members are
likely to be influenced by what they perceive to be Shaykh
Sabah's leanings. The last we heard from the PM on this
issue, he was putting the ball back in the National
Assembly's court -- slow death for reform proposals.

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LEBARON