FTA CLEARS LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000942

SIPDIS

USTR FOR J. BUNTIN
COMMERCE FOR 4520/ITA/ONE/HOFFMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2015
TAGS: ETRD BTIO ECON PREL BA
SUBJECT: FTA CLEARS LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT

Classified By: POL/ECON Chief Steve Bondy for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (SBU) The lower house Council of Representatives passed
the US-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by a wide margin on
July 5. The forty-member body ratified the treaty with
twenty-five votes in favor, four votes opposed and two
abstentions. (Nine members were not present for the vote.)
The four members voting against and the two abstaining were
all from Bahrain's two Sunni Islamist parties - Al Minbar and
Al Asala.


2. (C) Following the vote, Al Minbar president Dr. Salah Ali
told Emboff that his party had intended to adopt a neutral
position on the agreement. He explained that three of the
four votes against the FTA had been from his party, but added
that these were to have been balanced by three other members
who were to have voted for the FTA, while he, as the chairman
of the bloc, would abstain. He said that, unfortunately, the
three members who were to have voted in support of the FTA
were among the nine members who were absent. Ali added that
Al Minbar hoped the U.S. would respond to the positive
outcome for the FTA by rethinking its strategies in Bahrain
and the Gulf Region.


3. (SBU) In the debate prior to the vote, several MPs linked
ratification of the treaty to the release of the six Bahraini
detainees at Guantanamo. But the vast majority of members
argued that the FTA was in Bahrain's national interest.
Others pointed out that through enhanced cooperation between
the U.S. and Bahrain, such as with the FTA, important
bilateral issues like the status of the detainees at GTMO
could be discussed and resolved.


4. (SBU) Comment: The FTA will now move to the Shura Council,
Bahrain's upper house, where an expeditious and
opposition-free ratification is expected. Bahraini
Government officials told Pol/Econ Chief and Econoff on July
4 that preparations for FTA implementation are under way,
focusing in particular on IPR legislation consistent with
Bahrain's commitments under the FTA. End comment.

MONROE