FREEDOM AGENDA: MUNICIPAL COUNCIL CANDIDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001077

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KWMN KU FREEDOM AGENDA
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: MUNICIPAL COUNCIL CANDIDATE
CRITICIZES PRE-ELECTION SECTARIAN/TRIBAL PRIMARIES

REF: 05 KUWAIT 2509

Classified By: CDA Matt Tueller for reason 1.4 (d)


1. (C) Summary and comment: Talal Dashti, one of twelve
candidates in an election for a vacant Municipal Council (MC)
seat, told Poloff March 26 he refused to participate in a
pre-election Shi'a primary to choose one of the seven Shi'a
candidates in the election to represent the constituency's
Shi'a population and increase the odds of a Shi'a being
elected. Dashti said other "open-minded" Shi'a candidates
agreed with him, and the primary was not held. He reported,
however, that the Al-Awazem tribe did hold a primary, which
the Government did not prevent or sanction despite it being
common knowledge. Dashti claimed the participation of women
in the election for the first time since gaining the right to
vote in May 2005 had a "significant" affect on campaign
strategies, though he suggested the primary challenge was
reaching more voters, not gearing campaigns to both genders.
While he did not believe either of the two female candidates
in the April 4 election would win, he seemed genuinely
supportive of women's participation both as voters and as
candidates. Dashti said he financed his own campaign, which
relied heavily on calling and sending text messages to voters
and visiting diwaniyas.


2. (C) The upcoming Municipal Council election will be the
first time women exercise their right to vote. Kuwaitis arQ
watching closely to see whether women will vote with their
male relatives, as many in this conservative country suggest,
or whether they will vote independently. Women's
participation in the election will also more than double the
number of voters and could indicate, albeit on a smaller
scale, the impact a reduction in the number of parliamentary
electoral constituencies would have on reducing the scope of
electoral corruption. End summary and comment.

Shi'a Primary Would "Destroy" National Unity
--------------


3. (C) Talal Dashti, a Shi'a candidate in the extraordinary
Municipal Council (MC) election to be held April 4 to fill
the vacant seat of Abdullah Al-Muhailbi, who was recently
appointed Minister of Municipality Affairs, told Poloff March
26 that "some groups" in his constituency urged him to
participate in a pre-election Shi'a primary to choose one of
the seven Shi'a candidates in the election to represent them
and increase their chances of winning. He refused, arguing
that "election primaries will (negatively) affect national
unity and lead to a rise in sectarianism." "I am a Kuwaiti
first, second, and third, then a Shi'a," he explained.
According to Dashti, other "open-minded" Shi'a candidates
similarly refused and the primary was not held.


4. (C) While unofficial elections are prohibited in Kuwait,
they do occur, particularly among Kuwaiti tribes. Dashti
said the Al-Awazem tribe had already held a primary, choosing
Yousef Al-Suwailih from 22 other Awazem candidates to
represent the tribe in the election. He explained the Awazem
had conducted the primary by placing ballot boxes in tribal
leaders' diwaniyas, and that, while widely known, the
Government had done nothing to stop the primary or censure
the tribe afterwards. Dashti predicted that "80% of the
Awazem" would vote for their tribal candidate, giving them a
substantial electoral advantage. (Note: Abdullah Al-Muhailbi
is also from the Awazem tribe. End note.)


5. (C) According to Dashti, the total number of voters,
including women, in the fifth MC constituency is 28,000. Of
this number, Dashti claimed 14,000 were Shi'a, 5,600 were
Awazem, and 7,000 were from other Sunni families. In each
group, he said women outnumbered men. In the last MC
election in June 2005, Dashti said there were only 9,000
voters total. There are currently 12 candidates for the
election, two of whom are women. (Note: There are ten
Municipal Council constituencies from each of which one
member is elected. Six Council members are also appointed by
the Government; two are currently women (reftel). The next
regularly scheduled MC election will take place in 2009. End
note.)


6. (C) While criticizing pre-election primaries, Dashti
acknowledged that it would be difficult for a Shi'a candidate
to be elected without one, even if, as he predicted, the
number of Shi'a candidates dropped to "three or four" prior
to the election and "80% of Shi'a" voted for one of them.
The Awazem had a chief who could direct the tribe to vote for
a particular candidate, while Shi'a allegiances were divided

KUWAIT 00001077 002 OF 002


among different marja (religious leaders),Dashti observed.
All the same, he reiterated that he would rather lose the
election than hold a primary that "destroyed" national unity.

Participation of Women Changing Campaign Strategies
-------------- --------------


7. (C) The participation of women in the elections for the
first time since gaining the right to vote in May 2005 had a
"significant" impact on campaign strategies, Dashti said.
Since diwaniyas (traditional gatherings) tend to be
male-dominated, Dashti said he opened a separate female
diwaniya where his female relatives could campaign on his
behalf. Females friends/relatives also helped by calling
female voters individually and "introducing them" to Talal.
He suggested, however, that the greatest challenge of women
participating in the election was reaching a greater number
of voters, not gearing campaigns to both genders. Dashti
predicted women would not/not vote in large numbers for the
two female candidates, and doubted either would win, arguing
they needed more political and election experience. Overall,
however, he seemed genuinely supportive of women's
participation both as voters and as candidates.

Campaigning Kuwaiti-Style
--------------


8. (C) Dashti explained that much of his campaigning relied
on calling and sending text messages to voters, erecting
billboards, and visiting diwaniyas, of which he said there
were more than 400 in his constituency. He said he was
helped by 11 core campaigners and 300 family and friends.
Dashti said he financed his own campaign, which was "very
costly," particularly the campaign billboards and flyers and
the cell phone/text messaging expenses. Professing to know
his constituency "house by house," Dashti claimed he could
predict how many votes he would receive by family.
Ultimately, though, Dashti's primary support seemed to come
from the electoral base his father, an influential Shi'a
businessman, had built up during two separate, unsuccessful
election campaigns.

Bio Note
--------------


9. (SBU) Talal Dashti was born in 1976. He received a B.S.
in Civil Engineering from a university in Omaha, Nebraska,
and an M.S. in the same field from a university in Vienna,
Austria. In addition to owning his own business, he serves
as Executive Vice President for the World Trade Center in
Damascus, Syria; the Deputy Chairman of Top Industries
Company; a Board member of Markiz, a real estate investment
company; and a Board member of the Jaber Al-Ahmed Equestrian
Academy. Talal is also a member of several Arab and
international equestrian organizations. His English is
fluent.

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LEBARON