FREEDOM AGENDA - KUWAIT ELECTION UPDATE: 24 WOMEN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 002026

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
NOFORN
SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA - KUWAIT ELECTION UPDATE: 24 WOMEN
AMONG 244 REGISTERED CANDIDATES

REF: KUWAIT 1915 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: DCM Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: A total of 244 candidates, including 24
women, have registered so far for the June 29 parliamentary
elections. Kuwaiti women, participating in national
elections for the first time in Kuwait's history, have
responded with enthusiasm. Women account for 194,910 of
Kuwait's 340,248 voters, and in some districts outnumber male
voters by a ratio of almost 2-to-1. Despite the significant
impact women will have in this election, or perhaps because
of it, several female candidates have complained of receiving
personal threats and being pressured to withdraw from the
election, in most cases by family members. Three members of
the ruling Al-Sabah family have publicly stated their
intention to run for election, provoking an intense debate
over the legality and propriety of their unprecedented
candidature, which may yet prove to be a form of family
"greenmail". End summary.


2. (SBU) As of May 31, 244 candidates, including 24 women,
have registered for the June 29 parliamentary elections.
Still more are expected to sign up before the ten-day
registration period closes June 3. Most of the fifty members
of the dissolved Parliament are running for re-election, as
are many new hopefuls whose political affiliations range from
liberal to Shi'a to Islamist. One by-product of the recent
intense public debate over electoral reform has been to
highlight the public's awareness of the issue, and many
candidates are campaigning on a reform platform. One
Islamist candidate, Nasser Al-Duwaila, told approximately 300
men attending his opening campaign rally, "Reform starts
here."

Early Political Mud-Slinging
--------------


3. (C) In an early indicator that this will be an intensely
competitive process, some mud-slinging has already started
with allegations of electoral corruption, specifically
"political money" being spent to support certain candidates.
A May 31 article in the Arabic daily Al-Seyassah quoted one
candidate as saying that "a company" had placed ads in his
constituency offering Kuwaiti citizens the opportunity to buy
stock in the company. When they called, however, the
"company" offered to pay voters between 500 to 1000 KD
($1,700-$3,400) to vote for a particular candidate. A number
of editorialists have also criticized the Government for
turning a blind eye to tribal primaries, which have been
conducted openly despite being technically illegal. The
Arabic daily Al-Watan carried a front-page article May 30
that gave the time, date, and location of several tribes'
primaries and reported on which tribal candidates had been
chosen so far.

Kuwaiti Women: A Potent Political Force
--------------


4. (SBU) There is palpable excitement among many Kuwaiti
women about participating in a national election for the
first time in the country's history. Though few contacts
expect a female candidate to win, they note that women will
nonetheless play a significant role as voters. Of the 24
female candidates, several are well-known activists,
including Dr. Rola Dashti, Aisha Al-Rashaid, Shaykha
Al-Ghanim, and Fatima Al-Abdali. There are also a number of
newcomers, unknown to Post and local women's activists. Of
Kuwait's 340,248 eligible voters, 194,910 are women. In 21
out of the 25 constituencies, female voters outnumber male
voters. In constituencies that are home to a high number of
military and police personnel, who are not eligible to vote
in Kuwait, the female-to-male voter ratio is as high as
2-to-1. One challenge for both male and female candidates
will be reaching voters of the opposite gender since many of
Kuwait's traditional political venues, such as diwaniyas and
public campaign headquarters, tend to be male-dominated. One
indication of women's political strength is the fact that
several former Islamist MPs, most notably Dr. Nasser Al-Sane
and Walid Al-Tabtabaei, are trying hard to explain their
previous opposition to women's suffrage. Al-Tabtabaei told
Al-Watan his opposition to women's suffrage was based on a
fatwa issued by the Ministry of Awqaf, but explained that he
had changed his mind based on fatwas from other clerics in
the Arab world.


5. (SBU) Not everyone, though, is happy with women's
political enfranchisement in Kuwait. Several female

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candidates have reportedly received threats, including one
from a tribal area who withdrew her candidacy after receiving
a "death threat." Another female candidate withdrew under
pressure from her brothers. This highlights the dangers and
challenges to female candidates, particularly those in tribal
or "outlying" areas where conservative social values
predominate, but also the determination of Kuwaiti women to
capitalize on their political rights. Nonetheless, a small
number of women from conservative tribal areas have
registered as candidates. This is a notable development
because of the powerful tribal norms that associate family
honor and reputation with shielding women from the public
gaze.

Controversy over Al-Sabah Candidates
--------------


6. (C) Three members of the ruling Al-Sabah family have
publicly declared their intention to run for election
(without yet registering),setting off a public debate over
whether or not this is constitutional. The prevailing belief
among the public and most Al-Sabah is that ruling family
members should not run for office or even vote, and should
only be appointed to official positions. According to Dr.
Ibrahim Al-Humoud of Kuwait University's Faculty of Law,
while Article 82 of Kuwait's constitution permits all Kuwaiti
citizens to run for Parliament, the accompanying explanatory
memorandum stipulates that "the only way for the ruling
family members to be involved in ruling is by appointment as
ministers." He explained this was to ensure "the freedom of
the elections" and to protect Al-Sabah members from
"political defamation and smear campaigns." Dr. Al-Humoud
asked hypothetically what would happen if a ruling family
member ran for Parliament, but was not elected. He explained
that this could be interpreted as a type of referendum on the
Al-Sabah's leadership and damage the ruling family's
prestige. Dr. Al-Humoud added that other candidates would
also be likely to accuse the ruling family of tampering with
election results. The Sabah family members behind this
controversy are most likely deliberately provoking senior
family members in the expectation that they will be offered
political or financial incentives to withdraw.

A Lively Campaign Environment
--------------


7. (U) Despite the short notice, election campaigns are
kicking into full gear. Large campaign tents garnered with
strings of lights are sprouting up in empty lots and campaign
posters line major roads. Candidates often compete to see
who can throw the most elaborate campaign banquettes and a
number of candidates are reportedly hoping to attract voters
to their campaign tents by broadcasting World Cup soccer
matches on large-screen televisions.

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For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s

Visit Kuwait's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/
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LEBARON