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 KUWAIT 00002871 002 OF 002 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. ********************************************* * 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/ ********************************************* * TUELLER