FREEDOM AGENDA: PARLIAMENT SPEAKER SAYS ELECTORAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 003856 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR WALLER E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM IZ KU FREEDOM AGENDA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: PARLIAMENT SPEAKER SAYS ELECTORAL REFORM OPENS DOOR TO PARTIES; SHARES VIEWS ON IRAQ, LEBANON REF: A. KUWAIT 3826 ¶B. KUWAIT 2871 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C/NF) Summary: In a September 25 meeting with the Ambassador, Speaker of Parliament Jassem Al-Khorafi highlighted the importance of the recently-passed electoral reform legislation for Kuwait's political future. The new electoral system will change the nature of parliamentary politics in Kuwait and open the door for political parties and, "possibly," a Prime Minister chosen by Parliament. He cautioned, however, that Islamists, who are more organized and sophisticated than other political groups, stood to benefit most from these reforms. The Speaker blamed the recent Iraq-Kuwait border incidents on "bandits" and claimed Iran was not involved. He stressed the importance of initiating a dialogue with Iran on Iraq, "even if you do this through the United Kingdom." On Lebanon, Al-Khorafi advised the U.S. not to underestimate Nasrallah's influence and urged the international community to be careful of the way it intervenes. End summary. ¶2. (C/NF) The Ambassador met September 25 with Jassem Al-Khorafi, who was re-elected as Speaker of Parliament in July 2006. The Speaker predicted Islamist parliamentarians (MPs),trying to expand their political base to capitalize on the new, five-constituency electoral system (ref B),would "come on strong" in the next parliamentary session, which starts October 30. He was not optimistic that this Parliament would last its full four-year term, noting that some groups in Parliament, "eager to please their base," could easily cause friction with the Government. Electoral Reform Opens Door for Other Political Reforms -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C/NF) Al-Khorafi stressed the significance of the recently-passed electoral reform legislation for Kuwait's political future. Historically, Kuwaitis have voted based on three motivations: 1) personal relationships, 2) tribal affiliation, and 3) sectarian allegiance, he explained. "With five electoral constituencies, it will be different. It will be more difficult to depend (solely) on personal charisma to win elections." Al-Khorafi predicted the next elections would be based on "political groupings" (ref A) and the ones after that on "political parties," though he suggested parties could come sooner if Parliament eventually approves a one constituency electoral system, something he seemed to think likely. ¶4. (C/NF) Once political parties are allowed, Al-Khorafi said a Prime Minister chosen by Parliament could follow. Already, the constitutional barriers to "grilling" the Prime Minister had been removed with the 2003 separation of the posts of Crown Prince and Prime Minister, he explained; nothing but tradition prevents MPs from putting the Prime Minister "on the stand." Now that the posts have been separated, it is very difficult to re-unite them, Al-Khorafi said. He believed the ruling Al-Sabah family would "go along with this trend" and not try to resist these changes. "This is what makes us different from other Gulf countries," the Speaker concluded. (Comment: Several MPs' threats to "grill" the Prime Minister over electoral reform, which an influential ruling family member told the Ambassador was a "red line," were one of the primary reasons for the dissolution of Parliament in May. The subsequent elections were seen by many here as a referendum on reform and resulted in a landslide victory for pro-reform, opposition candidates. These new political developments may influence the Al-Sabah to alter their leadership style, however, there is considerable opposition from some members of the ruling family close to the Amir to any diminution of the Al-Sabah's political power. End comment.) Islamists Poised to Benefit from Reforms -------------- ¶5. (C/NF) The Speaker cautioned, however, that Islamists would benefit most under the new electoral system because they were better organized and more sophisticated than other political groups. He cited as an example his belief that Islamists successfully leveraged their superior organization in the June parliamentary elections to capitalize on women voting, and the recent Kuwait University Student Union elections in which an Islamist coalition won a landslide victory for the 28th straight year. Right now, "the Islamists are enjoying their election victories," Al-Khorafi KUWAIT 00003856 002 OF 002 said, noting that the Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM), the political arm of the Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood, had succeeded in capturing six seats in Parliament. He added, however, that their gains "don't carry any weight" unless they cooperate with other groups on common legislative objectives. The Speaker claimed there were "a lot of difficulties within the (18-member) Islamic Bloc." While the six ICM MPs "all talk one language, the group (as a whole) doesn't," he said; "the group will not vote together except on Islamist issues," like passage of a zakat (religious tax) law. Border Incidents Not Politically-Motivated -------------- ¶6. (C/NF) Al-Khorafi blamed the recent Iraq-Kuwait border incidents on "bandits" and claimed Iran was not involved. He said the incidents "had nothing to do with politics," adding that "Iran is mainly concerned with the future of Iraq and how they can play a role in it." The Speaker emphasized that the GOK wanted to "maintain an official dialogue" with the Iraqi government and downplay the incidents in official statements. Noting that certain groups in Kuwait were "starting to say things" about the incidents, Al-Khorafi said he was concerned that the situation could escalate if not handled properly. Given the current instability in Iraq, "these types of things (i.e. border incidents) happen," he concluded. Dialogue with Iran on Iraq Essential -------------- ¶7. (C/NF) The Speaker stressed the importance of initiating a dialogue with the Iranian government on Iraq, "even if this is through the United Kingdom." "Time is running," he said. The Ambassador replied that the USG previously offered to begin such a dialogue to focus on security issues. "Don't Underestimate Nasrallah's Influence" -------------- ¶8. (C/NF) Turning to Lebanon, Al-Khorafi advised, "Don't underestimate (Hassan) Nasrallah's influence." He continued: "The situation will become more serious if we start creating heroes where there are none." The Speaker believed the U.S. "did not handle (the conflict) well" and "wasted a lot of time" by not getting President Lahoud on board fast enough. "Syria is there. Their groups are there. The President (Lahoud) is there. These are facts." Prime Minister Siniora "is trying to swim against the current," Al-Khorafi said. "He is doing a good job, but he is weak." He added, though, that sometimes Siniora's very weakness strengthened his position. "Unfortunately, the reality of what is happening in Lebanon makes it easy for certain groups to use this as a justification for their policies in the region. This is the danger," Al-Khorafi argued. "If the international community interferes (in Lebanon),it needs to be very careful as to how it does this," he advised. "You don't need to create new enemies, the ones you have are sufficient," Al-Khorafi concluded. ********************************************* * 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/ ********************************************* * LeBaron