FOREIGN MINISTER ON DEMOCRACY, TERRORISM, IRAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000524 SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARPI SHAWN THORNE ABU DHABI FOR MEPI OFFICE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM ECON PTER IZ IR QA SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER ON DEMOCRACY, TERRORISM, IRAN REF: A. 05 Doha 1907 ¶B. Doha 480 ¶1. Summary. First Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani (HBJ) gave a speech on democratization in the Middle East April 1 during the Doha Cultural Festival. Answering questions afterwards, he said that Qatar will hold the first elections for the country's legislative body in early 2007. An election law will be finalized before the summer. He was critical of the United States and the west generally for imposing their system of democracy in the Middle East. He said the results of doing so in Iraq are not positive. End Summary. ¶2. In his speech, HBJ said that democracies in the region should match the local culture and that good governance, transparency, and the rule of law are all components of democracy. He added that "no one is above the law" in Qatar. He said that the "culture of democratization" represents a crucial task for all Qataris. The speech was not particularly noteworthy, but HBJ touched on a number of interesting topics in the question and answer period, which lasted for more than one hour. Qatar's Legislative Elections -------------- ¶3. HBJ said that elections will take place in early 2007. (Note. He has made this point publicly before.) An elections law will be issued before summer 2006; the law will clarify technical aspects of the elections. He said that only Qataris born in the state prior to 1932 [sic] will be eligible to be candidates, but that everyone else with a Qatari passport "is a Qatari" and possess the rights outlined in the constitution. The Amir and the Heir Apparent are concerned about the political rights of naturalized citizens and those of Qataris who moved to the country after the date that provided full rights; HBJ said issuing a new law to expand their rights was not within his area of responsibility; it could happen in "one year or ten." Note: "Original Qataris" are defined in the Nationality Law of 2005 as those living in the country as of 1930. End Note.) Qatar's elections will be based on 30 electoral districts rather than a single national constituency, as some had proposed. HBJ said this was to take into consideration Qatar's tribal and family groups. The constituency system is the most suitable one, he said, because it allows for fair representation for citizens living outside the capital. �00A; Local Governance -------------- ¶4. A female professor at Qatar University complained about the lack of opportunities for well-qualified women and said company boards, the university's steering committee, and other organizations were locked up by favorites who served on multiple boards. HBJ joked with her that she should have made better contacts during her career and that she was fortunate to be able to make such criticisms openly with no danger of reprisal. He added that board members are subject to removal "at any time" for poor performance. West and Democracy -------------- ¶5. HBJ appeared relaxed as he engaged the press and other members of the audience. He said that the U.S. and the west want to "impose" its version of democracy on the region and that this was the wrong approach. The conditions in the Middle East are different, he said; change should come from within. This has happened in Qatar, which began the path toward democracy well before 9/11. HBJ said conflict is the result of imposing beliefs on others. "The Americans came to impose democracy in Iraq. I don't think what we see is positive," he commented. Conflict, but Not of Civilizations -------------- ¶6. HBJ said that after the cold war, two civilizations emerged -- one global and another Islamic. But conflict in the region is based not on these differences but on energy and economics. That is why we have not seen international powers involved in Somalia in the same way. We own a very important commodity, he said: Energy. It is Qatar's, but at the same time, consumers have their rights as well as responsibilities with respect to the resource. Terrorism -------------- ¶7. The Foreign Minister reacted to recent statements by Secretary Rice that political conditions in the region have bred terrorism. Arab leaders and the U.S. were both responsible for misleading the Arab people by encouraging them to fight in Afghanistan under the banner of Islam, he said. Arab governments should have consulted closely with the U.S. before signing on to that policy. Iran -------------- ¶8. Qatar, as a neighbor of Iran and a UN Security Council member, would like to resolve the crisis over Iran's nuclear program diplomatically. The IAEA operates with a technical mandate; the UNSC performs the political work; and Qatar's strategy was to help "bring points of view closer" to reach a peaceful solution. Minister of Economy -------------- ¶9. HBJ said that the dismissal of the Minister of Economy and Commerce (ref B) was "not the first nor the last" such action and should not be considered unusual. It was not related to the performance of the stock market. The minister blamed the recent drop in share prices on "small investors" who lack a clear vision. He said prices doubled over the year in the first quarter of 2006 and trusts the Doha market to deliver excellent performance by the end of the year. Sunni and Shia -------------- ¶10. A Qatari woman asked about the status of the Qatari-Saudi relations, noting that Qatar and Saudi are the wings of Wahabism. "I don't want to see our young men go to Baghdad to fight Shiism," she said. HBJ replied that relations with Saudi Arabia are based on respect and that the wisdom of the leaders of the two countries will lead to a more relaxed relationship. He said that thankfully, Qatar does not face a Sunni-Shia'a rift because of the strong social fabric of the society. He noted that in Qatar no one can tell who is a Sunni or who a shia'a and that Shia'a Qataris work in important positions in the government and in business. Note: It appeared that HBJ was indirectly criticizing Saudi Arabia for its treatment of Shia'as in the Kingdom's eastern provinces. NANTONGO