Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05MANAMA228
2005-02-16 14:41:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manama
Cable title:  

CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE FAILS TO PRODUCE NEW

Tags:  KDEM PGOV BA 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000228 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2015
TAGS: KDEM PGOV BA
SUBJECT: CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE FAILS TO PRODUCE NEW
IDEAS AND WIDENS RIFTS

REF: A. MANAMA 174

B. MANAMA 111

Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

-------
Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000228

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2015
TAGS: KDEM PGOV BA
SUBJECT: CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE FAILS TO PRODUCE NEW
IDEAS AND WIDENS RIFTS

REF: A. MANAMA 174

B. MANAMA 111

Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) The February 10 constitutional conference organized
by four opposition political societies was marked by
disagreements among participants and commentary that the
opposition excluded key players from the event. NGO
activists, political societies, journalists, members of
parliament, and even oppositionists were overwhelmingly in
agreement that the conference failed to generate fresh
strategies for dealing with the government on constitutional
amendments. As a result of the conference, many from the
government, parliament, and civil society have publicly
called for national unity and a more cooperative approach to
problem-solving. The widespread negative reaction to the
conference could lead Bahrain's opposition to rethink its
position to operate outside of the political system and lead
to a decision that participation might be a better way to
reach its objectives. End Summary.

--------------
Limited Future Plans for Quartet Alliance
--------------


2. (U) On February 10, four opposition societies, known as
the Quartet Alliance, held a conference to discuss
constitutional reform in Bahrain (Ref A). The Alliance,
composed of Al Wifaq, Al Amal Al Islami, National Democratic
Action Society, and Al Tajamo' Al Qowmi, boycotted the 2002
parliamentary elections and have vowed to boycott the 2006
elections unless they are granted a dialogue with the King or
his representative on amending the constitution. The King
has refused to meet with the group following the breakdown of
a constitutional dialogue between the Alliance and the
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, saying amending the
constitution should be discussed only through established
institutions like the parliament.


3. (U) Throughout the conference, participants focused on
their message that the 2002 constitution was not ratified by
the people and is therefore illegal. They agreed to organize
a future conference on the issue and elected a General
Secretariat to coordinate activities. Eleven people joined

SIPDIS
the General Secretariat, two from each of the Alliance's

societies and three independent members. Conference
participants made plans to lobby within Bahrain and
internationally to enact constitutional reform. According to
press reports, a comprehensive document on the issue will be
presented to the U.S. Congress, the European Union, and
"other international bodies interested in democracy and human
rights."

--------------
Participant Infighting
--------------


4. (C) Despite the election of a General Secretariat and
plans for future activities, the overwhelming opinion -- from
NGO activists, political societies, journalists, members of
parliament, and even boycotting groups -- was that the
conference failed to generate fresh strategies for progress.
According to a leading newspaper, Al Wifaq rejected a
proposal made by the National Democratic Action Society
(NDAS) to give the Secretariat the authority to conduct
negotiations with the government on behalf of the Alliance.
This led the head of the conference's Prepatory Committee,
Aziz Abul, to accuse Al Wifaq of unjustly taking independent
decisions. (Note: The press reported that several conference
participants suggested that Al Wifaq's rejection was an
attempt to ensure that the opposition's decisions remain in
the hands of religious leaders. End Note.) NDAS leader
Abdulrahman Al Nuaimi publicly predicted that the Alliance
would break apart. Abul later told PolFSN that the Alliance
would "definitely remain together." General Secretariat
member Nizar Al Qari privately admitted to PolFSN that the
conference was not productive.

--------------
Restrictions on Attendance
--------------

5. (C) The Prepatory Committee cooperated with the Ministry
of Social Affairs in limiting the conference's participation
to Bahrainis. The Alliance sent letters to foreigners who
had been invited to the conference and informed them they
could come only as observers. The Committee complied with
last minute instructions from the government to bar
foreigners from the conference even as observers. (Note: An
Amcit invited to attend chose not to do so upon learning of
the government's sensitivity. End Note.)


6. (C) A number of political societies and NGOs that support
a constitutional dialogue, including the Bahrain Freedoms
Society and the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society, claimed
that conference organizers barred them from attending. Al
Mithaq National Action Charter Society denounced the
Prepatory Committee's exclusion of certain groups and accused
the Quartet Alliance of "destructive competitiveness." Abdul
Hadi Marhoon, Council of Representatives (COR) First Deputy
Chairman and Democratic Bloc member, told PolFSN that the
Alliance's exclusion of others, most importantly those with
the authority to make changes, would harm its cause. Fareed
Ghazi of the COR's Economic Bloc accused Alliance members of
only talking to each other and failing to incorporate new
ideas and strategies to promote their goals.

--------------
Calls for National Unity and Cooperation
--------------


7. (U) On February 9, one day before the conference, English
and Arabic newspapers printed a lengthy statement by the King
to commemorate the 2001 referendum on the National Action
Charter (NAC). (Note: The anniversary of the referendum is
February 14, but the King clearly intended his message to
reach Bahrainis before the conference. End Note.). The King
reaffirmed that when citizens voted on the NAC, they
delegated the leadership to draft the constitution. The King
encouraged citizens to look to the future and not to the past
in thinking about reform. Also on February 9, First Deputy
Chairman of the Shura Council Abdul Rahman Jamsheer called on
the boycotting societies to engage with the Shura and COR and
not be a roadblock. He proposed that professional syndicates
might play a role in electing a percentage of seats in the
Shura Council, all of whose members are now appointed by the
King. Following the conference, several influential groups,
including the Al Minbar and Al Mithaq political societies,
called the conference ineffective and seconded the King's
call for national unity.

--------------
Comment
--------------


8. (C) The widespread negative reaction to the conference
could lead Bahrain's opposition to rethink its position to
operate outside of the political system and conclude that
participation might be a better way to reach its objectives
(Ref B). Both publicly and privately oppositionists are
acknowledging that in boycotting and confronting the
government they successfully brought important problems into
the limelight, but that to solve the problems they believe
they can be more effective by working through formal
political institutions, including the government and
parliament.
MONROE