Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KUWAIT3878
2006-09-28 06:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

FREEDOM AGENDA: MINISTER ANTICIPATES CONTENTIOUS

Tags:  PGOV PREL KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO2656
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHKU #3878/01 2710650
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 280650Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6936
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 003878 

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: MINISTER ANTICIPATES CONTENTIOUS
PARLIAMENT SESSION; DOWNPLAYS SECTARIANISM IN KUWAIT

REF: A. KUWAIT 3856

B. KUWAIT 3826

Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 003878

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: MINISTER ANTICIPATES CONTENTIOUS
PARLIAMENT SESSION; DOWNPLAYS SECTARIANISM IN KUWAIT

REF: A. KUWAIT 3856

B. KUWAIT 3826

Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C/NF) Summary: During a September 27 meeting with the
Ambassador, Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs
Abdul Hadi Al-Saleh said the Government is expending "maximum
efforts" to repair its "tense" relations with Parliament.
Despite these efforts, the Minister predicted Parliament
would still be "provocative" in the next legislative session,
which starts October 30. He believed some MPs preferred to
see Parliament dissolved early so new elections could be held
under the recently-adopted five constituency electoral
system. Al-Saleh claimed Islamists were trying to "pressure
decision-making" both inside and outside Parliament and
predicted Islamist MPs would push conservative legislation in
the upcoming session. The Minister did not think sectarian
violence in Iraq and Hizballah ascendancy in Lebanon would
have a significant impact on Shi'a-Sunni relations in Kuwait,
which despite some minor Shi'a grievances and verbal
denigration on both sides, are generally good. End summary.


2. (C/NF) The Ambassador met September 27 with Abdul Hadi
Al-Saleh, the Minister of State for National Assembly
(Parliament) Affairs and one of two Shi'a in the 16-member
Cabinet. Al-Saleh described his Ministry's function as
"managing the legal and political aspects of the Government's
relations with Parliament." Recently, these relations have
been "tense" despite the Government's "maximum efforts" to
accommodate parliamentarians' (MPs) demands, Al-Saleh said.
As examples, he cited the Cabinet's formation of an
inter-ministerial committee to review all 150 outstanding
questions posed by MPs to various ministries; the planned
appointment of a point-person to follow up on MPs' requests
and review the priorities of the various parliamentary blocs
(ref B); and the Cabinet's decision based on Al-Saleh's
suggestion to include local NGO representatives in a

committee formed September 26 to review
Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) projects in Kuwait. Al-Saleh
hoped this last step, which he described as a "watershed"
decision," would get local NGOs more involved in "the
decision-making process."

Parliament Looking for a Clash?
--------------


3. (C/NF) Despite these efforts to "bridge the gap" with the
Parliament, the Minister predicted the Parliament would still
be "provocative" in the next legislative session, something
he attributed to some MPs' desire to see the current
Parliament dissolved so new elections could be held under the
new five constituency electoral system. (Note: In July,
Parliament approved legislation reducing the number of
electoral constituencies from 25 to 5, a reform expected to
reduce electoral corruption and open the door to political
parties. The Speaker recently told the Ambassador the
reduction would change the nature of parliamentary politics
in Kuwait (ref A). End note. It is not clear to us,
however, that newly-elected members would want to go to the
polls again soon, an expensive and risky process. End Note)
Al-Saleh said that some legislative issues were further
complicated by some MPs' impression that the U.S. was trying
to manipulate the outcome. He believed this was the reason
for some MPs' opposition to the controversial project to
develop Kuwait's northern oil fields in partnership with
international oil companies.

Islamists Trying to "Pressure Decision-Making"
-------------- -


4. (C/NF) Asked about increased Islamist representation and
influence in Parliament, the Minister said Islamists were
trying to "pressure decision-making" both inside and outside
Parliament. He cited as examples Islamists' successful
obstruction of the temporary establishment of a church in
Kheitan and the airing of certain television programs during
Ramadan, which Al-Saleh said indicated their "influence and
effectiveness." Al-Saleh believed Islamist MPs would push
conservative legislation, like a law on zakat (religious
tax),in the upcoming parliamentary session.

Despite Some Grievances, Kuwaiti Sectarian Relations Good
-------------- --------------


5. (C/NF) Al-Saleh said he did not anticipate that sectarian
violence in Iraq and Hizballah ascendancy in Lebanon would
have a significant impact on Shi'a-Sunni relations in Kuwait.

KUWAIT 00003878 002 OF 002


He noted that Kuwaiti pan-Arabists were "happy with
Hizballah's victory in Lebanon, because they think Israel was
created to undermine Arab unity," and that "many Arabs were
happy that an Arab group stood up to the Israelis for so
long." Al-Saleh continued: "We cannot deny, however, that
there is a type of verbal clash" (between Shi'a and Sunnis in
Kuwait) and Shi'a still have some "grievances" about
discrimination. In particular, he argued that Kuwaiti Shi'a
should be allowed to air their own programs on public
satellite stations. "These programs send a political message
and Shi'a should be given equal media opportunities,"
otherwise they will turn to other satellite stations in the
region, Al-Saleh argued. "The time for Government monopoly
of these sensitive media is gone." On the whole, though, he
said Shi'a-Sunni relations in Kuwait were good and Kuwait was
not susceptible to the type of sectarian violence found
elsewhere in the region.

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


6. (SBU) Al-Saleh was appointed State Minister for National
Assembly Affairs, his first ministerial post, in July 2006.
He is one of two Shi'a ministers in the Cabinet--the other is
Dr. Ma'souma Al-Mubarak, the Minister of Communications.
Al-Saleh also serves on the Ja'fari Waqf's (Shi'a religious
endowment) Consultative Committee and the Ministry of Awqaf's
General Secretariat. In addition, he is the Secretary
General of the National Charter Grouping, a moderate,
pro-reform Shi'a political association. Prior to his
appointment, Al-Saleh was a columnist for Al-Anba and Al-Rai
Al-Aam (local Arabic dailies) and used to meet regularly with
Embassy officials. He has also written several books on
Kuwaiti politics and society.


7. (SBU) Al-Saleh was taken captive by Iraqi forces during
the invasion and held until after the liberation of Kuwait in

1991. He was born in 1951 and has a degree in Law and
Islamic Shari'a. Al-Saleh told the Ambassador he works
"around the clock," but enjoys jogging and meditating in his
limited free time. He also runs a husseiniya
(religiously-oriented Shi'a diwaniya). A full bio is
available on our 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/
********************************************* *
LeBaron