FREEDOM AGENDA: REFORMERS WIN MAJOR VICTORY AS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 002871

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: REFORMERS WIN MAJOR VICTORY AS
PARLIAMENT APPROVES FIVE ELECTORAL CONSTITUENCIES

REF: KUWAIT 2821

Classified By: Political Chief Natalie E. Brown for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)


1. (C/NF) Summary and comment: Parliament voted July 17 to
reduce the number of electoral constituencies from 25 to
five. The vote comes after months of contentious debate on
the issue, which culminated in the Amir's dissolution of
Parliament on May 21. According to one liberal political
analyst, the reform will have an immediate impact on Kuwait's
political dynamics and will change the relationship between
Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Government. One Islamist
MP told Poloff pro-reform MPs would introduce a campaign
finance law and push for passage of anti-corruption measures
when Parliament reconvenes in October. He said they would
also begin working on legislation to permit the establishment
of "political NGOs" as an intermediate step to political
parties.


2. (C/NF) Comment: The passage of a five constituency bill,
only two months after the Amir dissolved Parliament over the
same issue, is a major victory for reformers in Kuwait.
Coming shortly after the Government made another concession
to reformers -- excluding Shyakh Ahmed Al-Fahd and Mohammed
Sharar from the new Cabinet -- it demonstrates the growing
power of political activism in Kuwait. Many Kuwaitis also
interpret the failure of the Government to outline a clear,
consistent policy on this issue as evidence of the weakness
of the country's current leadership and the divisions within
the ruling Al-Sabah family. The challenge for pro-reformers
will be in remaining united and outlining their own vision
for Kuwait now that their primary demands have been met. End
summary and comment.

We Want Five, We Got Five
--------------


3. (U) On July 17, Parliament voted 60 to 2 in favor of the
Government's draft bill to reduce the number of electoral
constituencies from 25 to five. The vote follows months of
contentious debate on the issue and is a major victory for
pro-reformers. Pro-reform activists observing the session
broke into loud applause and began singing the national
anthem after the vote. Under the new electoral system, ten
MPs will be elected from each of the five constituencies.
Each voter can vote for up to four separate candidates,
effectively doubling the total number of potential votes and
significantly diminishing the potential for electoral
corruption. In addition, areas outside the boundaries of the
25 constituencies were included in the new five
constituencies, adding more than 30,000 new voters. The
first national elections to be held under this new system are
scheduled for 2010.


4. (SBU) Although they voted for the bill, some MPs
expressed reservations about the geographic and demographic
distribution of the Government's proposal (reftel) and
pledged to introduce amendments to the legislation when
Parliament reconvenes in October. Shi'a MP Saleh Ashour said
he would go even further and introduce a one constituency
proposal, which many pro-reform MPs have argued is the ideal
electoral system. There were some rumors that pro-reform MPs
would collectively resign after the vote to force new
elections under the five constituency system, but this is
highly unlikely. Parliament also unanimously approved a bill
forgiving the interest on loans taken out by retirees against
their pensions, which was previously rejected by the
Government. Parliament is scheduled to meet twice more
before breaking for summer recess until October 31.

A Changing Relationship
--------------


5. (C/NF) According to Ahmed Deyain, an astute, liberal
political analyst, the passage of electoral reform
legislation will have an immediate impact on political
dynamics within Parliament. Specifically, it will change the
relationship between MPs and the Government. With so many
more voters per constituency, MPs will no longer be able to
rely solely on their personal, familial, or tribal
connections for political support, Deyain argued.
Consequently, they will be forced to focus more on real
issues and will no longer be as beholden to the Government to
obtain favors for their constituents, he claimed. Even
pro-Government "service deputies" might try to redefine
themselves as nationalists or populists in order to broaden
their appeal to voters. Ultimately, this would reduce the

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Government's ability to influence MPs, Deyain said.

The First Step
--------------


6. (C/NF) Electoral reform is the first step towards broader
political reform in Kuwait, Dr. Nasser Al-Sane, a pro-reform
Islamist MP, told Poloff on June 16. Asked about the next
steps, Al-Sane said he hoped Parliament would discuss a
campaign finance law when it reconvened in October. He said
another top priority was implementation of anti-corruption
measures, such as a financial accountability law requiring
all MPs to disclose their personal finances and the creation
of a parliamentary committee to investigate corruption,
specifically the notoriously corrupt allocation of land by
the Municipal Council. He noted, though, that such a
committee would run into a lot of opposition. Al-Sane said
pro-reform MPs were also considering legislation permitting
the establishment of "political NGOs, like those in Bahrain,"
as an intermediate step to political parties. He noted,
however, that this would require close coordination and
consultation with the Government.


7. (U) Bios on the new Members of Parliament are available
on post's classified website.

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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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