SADAT BROTHER APPRECIATES USG SUPPORT, ADVOCATES

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 006864 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC FOR WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KISL EG SUBJECT: SADAT BROTHER APPRECIATES USG SUPPORT, ADVOCATES NEW GOE APPROACH TO MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD REF: A. CAIRO 6736 ¶B. CAIRO 6600 ¶C. CAIRO 3582 CLASSIFIED BY: MINISTER-COUNSELOR FOR ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS WILLIAM R. STEWART, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARIAN ANWAR EL SADAT (BROTHER OF IMPRISONED MP TALAAT EL SADAT, AND NEPHEW OF ASSASSINATED PRESIDENT ANWAR EL SADAT) DELIVERED A LECTURE TITLED "INDEPENDENTS IN THE PARLIAMENT" ON NOVEMBER 9 AT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO. IN A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH POLOFF ON THE MARGINS OF THE EVENT, SADAT NOTED HIS FAMILYS APPRECIATION OF THE RECENT COMMENTS OF THE STATE DEPARTMENTS SPOKESMAN REGARDING THE TALAAT EL SADAT CASE (REFS A AND B). HE ALSO FLAGGED HIS CONCERN THAT HIS BROTHER'S PARLIAMENTARY SEAT AND MEMBERSHIP WILL LIKELY SOON BE REVOKED, MEANING TALAAT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESUME HIS PARLIAMENTARY-LEVEL POLITICAL ACTIVITIES WHEN HE IS RELEASED FROM PRISON IN A YEAR'S TIME. ¶2. (SBU) ANWAR EL SADAT'S LECTURE WAS NOTEWORTHY IN THAT THE PARLIAMENTARIAN, A LIBERAL INDEPENDENT AND STRONG ADVOCATE OF SECULARISM, VOICED PUBLICLY HIS OPPOSITION TO THE GOE'S "EXCLUSIONARY" APPROACH TO THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD (MB). SADAT OBJECTED TO THE GOE'S LIKELY AMENDING OF THE CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW FOR A PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION-PARTY LIST ELECTORAL SYSTEM INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT SINGLE-DISTRICT SYSTEM, ARGUING THAT THE "SOLE BASIS" FOR CHANGING THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM IS TO "GET RID OF THE MB (BY ELIMINATING OR RESTRICTING THE ABILITY OF CANDIDATES TO RUN AS INDEPENDENTS),WHICH DEMONSTRATES THE GOVERNMENT'S MISTAKEN THINKING ON THIS ISSUE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET RID OF THE MB." SADAT ADVOCATED FOR A "REALISTIC APPROACH" TO THE MB, NOTING THAT "THEY ARE PART OF THE POLITICAL REALITY HERE, AND EGYPT MUST CHANGE THE WAY IT DEALS WITH THEM OFFICIALLY." WHILE NOTING THAT THE MB IS "ORGANIZED AND EFFECTIVE," SADAT OPINED THAT THE ORGANIZATION IS NOT "SO POPULAR THAT WE SHOULD BE SCARED ... IN FACT, THE MORE THEY ARE FORBIDDEN, THE MORE WE BOLSTER THEIR APPEAL AMONG THE EGYPTIAN POPULACE." ¶3. (SBU) SADAT, WHILE CALLING FOR "REAL" REFORM THROUGH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS, WAS NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT IMPENDING CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES, NOTING THAT, "REGRETTABLY, THERE ARE NO GOOD INTENTIONS ON THE PART OF THE GOE WITH REGARD TO POLITICAL REFORM." SADAT WAS CRITICAL OF THE GOE'S "PROHIBITIVE" POLITICAL PARTY REGISTRATION PROCESS, CITING THE DECADE-OLD LEGAL FIGHT FOR THE WASAT AND KARAMA PARTIES TO FORMALLY REGISTER AS PARTIES (REF C) AS PROOF THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT ALLOW "SERIOUS" OPPOSITION PARTIES TO COMPETE IN THE ELECTORAL ARENA. SADAT ALSO HIGHLIGHTED "SENSITIVITY" AMONG PARLIAMENTARIANS TO "WORKING WITH THE WEST," ESPECIALLY THE U.S., OR BEING PERCEIVED AS SUCH, IN LARGE PART "BECAUSE THE GOE ABUSES SUCH PERCEPTIONS TO TARGET MP,S THEY DISAGREE WITH." RICCIARDONE