CABINET MINISTER OUTLINES GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES AS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000527

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL EPET KU NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FREEDOM AGENDA
SUBJECT: CABINET MINISTER OUTLINES GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES AS
PRESS LAW, PROJECT KUWAIT, PRIVATIZATION

REF: A. 05 KUWAIT 5266

B. 05 KUWAIT 5186 AND PREVIOUS

C. 05 KUWAIT 5083

D. 04 KUWAIT 2816

Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reason 1.4 (d)


1. (C) The Ambassador met on February 14 with Mohammed
Dhaifallah Sharar to congratulate him on his re-appointment
as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State for Cabinet
Affairs, and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs.
Confirming what local media and post contacts have reported,
Sharar said Government priorities were passage of Project
Kuwait (ref A),the Press and Publications Law (ref C),and
the privatization law (ref D). He was optimistic that all
three would pass, specifically, Project Kuwait, which he said
only "six to seven" members of Parliament (MPs) opposed.
Sharar told the Ambassador the Government had asked
Parliament to hold one session to vote on all "international
conventions" waiting to be ratified, including Kuwait's $500
million pledge to hurricane Katrina victims and the United
Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) Status of Mission
Agreement (SOMA).


2. (C) The Minister also said the GOK would introduce a new
proposal before April to reduce the number of electoral
constituencies from 25 to 10, a key political reform (ref B).
He noted, however, that while there was consensus on the
need for the reduction, MPs differed considerably on the
geographic distribution of the fewer districts, which could
have potentially significant political ramifications.
(Comment: With Government support, Parliament voted in
December to postpone discussion of proposals to reduce the
number of electoral constituencies until June 30, effectively
killing the issue until the 2006-2007 parliamentary term (ref
B). It is unlikely the Government would introduce a new
proposal before then, especially amidst sharp divisions in
Parliament about this reform. End note.)


3. (C) Sharar said the "recent phase consolidated democracy
(in Kuwait) in a clear manner," and expressed hope that this
would result in improved Government-Parliament cooperation.
He dismissed Kuwaiti liberals' complaints about being
excluded from the new Cabinet as "normal for the losing
party." "Ultimately, though, we accept constructive
criticism," he said. Sharar also asked the Ambassador about
the status of Kuwaiti Guantanamo detainees and USG policy on
Iran.

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

You can also access this site through the
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website
*********************************************
LeBaron