Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KUWAIT656
2006-02-27 12:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

FREEDOM AGENDA: PLANNING MINISTER SAYS ELECTORAL

Tags:  PGOV KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9818
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHKU #0656/01 0581223
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 271223Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3190
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0324
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000656 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ARPI, NEA/PI, AND G/TIP; LONDON FOR TSOU,
PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: PLANNING MINISTER SAYS ELECTORAL

REFORM AND LABOR AT THE TOP OF NEW CABINET'S AGENDA

REF: A. KUWAIT 636: PARLIAMENT REVISES DATE FOR
REDISTRICTING DEBATE

B. KUWAIT 601: NEW PRIME MINISTER PROMISES REFORMS

C. KUWAIT 495: FREE SEAT ON MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

D. KUWAIT 85: MOST SAY WOMEN WON'T WIN

E. 05 KUWAIT 5183: AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION OF WOMEN
VOTERS

F. 05 KUWAIT 4742: INTERIOR AND PLANNING MINISTERS
CONFIRM GOK TIP COMMITMENT

G. 05 KUWAIT 4740: PLANNING MINISTER ON ELECTORAL
REFORM

H. 05 KUWAIT 4460: GOK FORMS MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE
ON REDISTRICTING

I. 05 KUWAIT 4325: NDI CAMPAIGN SCHOOL

J. 05 KUWAIT 2931: PDAS CHENEY IN KUWAIT

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 000656

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ARPI, NEA/PI, AND G/TIP; LONDON FOR TSOU,
PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: PLANNING MINISTER SAYS ELECTORAL

REFORM AND LABOR AT THE TOP OF NEW CABINET'S AGENDA

REF: A. KUWAIT 636: PARLIAMENT REVISES DATE FOR
REDISTRICTING DEBATE

B. KUWAIT 601: NEW PRIME MINISTER PROMISES REFORMS

C. KUWAIT 495: FREE SEAT ON MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

D. KUWAIT 85: MOST SAY WOMEN WON'T WIN

E. 05 KUWAIT 5183: AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION OF WOMEN
VOTERS

F. 05 KUWAIT 4742: INTERIOR AND PLANNING MINISTERS
CONFIRM GOK TIP COMMITMENT

G. 05 KUWAIT 4740: PLANNING MINISTER ON ELECTORAL
REFORM

H. 05 KUWAIT 4460: GOK FORMS MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE
ON REDISTRICTING

I. 05 KUWAIT 4325: NDI CAMPAIGN SCHOOL

J. 05 KUWAIT 2931: PDAS CHENEY IN KUWAIT

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


1. (C) Summary: During a February 27 call to congratulate
the Minister on her re-appointment as Minister of Planning
and Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs,
Dr. Ma'souma Al-Mubarak was generally optimistic about the
new Government and echoed the Prime Minister's recent
comments about reforms that would soon occur. She spoke at
length on reduction of the number of electoral districts and
was pleased that Parliament agreed to discuss the measure in
April instead of June. Although she said there was no
prefect formula for reshaping the districts, based on either
demographics or population, reducing their numbers from 25 to
10, would promote transparency, and larger districts would
create a more level playing field for female candidates. She
complimented GOK efforts, such as the automatic registration
of women voters and encouragement of political participation
of women, but expressed disappointment with the work of
women's groups and NGOs. She said Kuwaiti women needed to be
encouraged to run for office and requested more training
programs such as the September 2005 MEPI-funded NDI campaign
school. She cited passage of a new labor law as another GOK
priority and said that efforts to combat trafficking in
persons and foreign worker exploitation needed to target
source as well as destination countries. End summary.


Getting Serious about Electoral District Reform
-------------- --


2. (C) During the Ambassador's February 27 courtesy call on
recently re-appointed Minister of Planning and Minister of
State for Administrative Development Affairs Dr. Ma'souma
Al-Mubarak, the Minister spoke at length on electoral
redistricting and political reform. Referring to the
February 21 decision by the National Assembly to address
redistricting in April instead of June, she said the earlier
date allows ample time for discussion, increasing the
possibility that a law could be passed before the 2007
elections (ref A). If discussed in June as originally
planned, Parliament would not be able to conclude debate
before the summer recess, meaning there would be no serious
discussion until October. She said the GOK was working on a
"unified position" on redistricting and while there was
"almost unanimous" agreement on reducing the number of
constituencies from 25 to 10, there was serious disagreement
on the future size and shape of the reduced constituencies.
Dr. Ma'souma explained that if districts were configured
based on population, tribal groups would benefit while some
small districts currently held by liberals could change
hands. Other configurations to be considered could take into
account the demographics of the area, creating districts
whose majorities were Shi'a, for example. She bemoaned that
there was no ideal formula and either option would generate
criticism.

Redistricting Good for the GOK's Image and Good for Women
-------------- --------------


3. (C) Nevertheless, she believed that electoral district
reform was essential for two overriding reasons. First, GOK
critics accused the Government of being anti-reform. Taking
on the district issue would erase this charge. She commented
that in discussions on the GOK commitment to reform, she had
personally come under attack by independent MPs for her
efforts to tighten the controls on voter registration.
Previously, voters could move, on paper, to districts where
they thought their votes could make a difference. She
pressed for regulations requiring the registration of an
address along with the voter's name to limit abuse of the
system. Independent MPs, who had supported reform, now
opposed it because they believed it would adversely affect
them. Second, redistricting will even the playing field for

KUWAIT 00000656 002 OF 002


women. With the current 25 districts, Dr. Ma'souma said
there was no chance for a woman to win (ref D). Tribal
districts accounted for 16 of the existing districts and
competition was fierce within the remaining nine where
loyalties are divided among religious affiliation, family
ties, and business relationships. She asserted that larger
districts favored women.

Kuwaiti Women Need Help to Run for Office and Win
-------------- --------------


4. (C) Further commenting on women's political
participation, Dr. Ma'souma noted her displeasure with the
effectiveness of Kuwait's women's groups and NGOs. She said
that legislation allowing the automatic registration of women
voters (Ref E),which she pushed, took a lot of pressure off
of the women's groups, freeing them to focus on encouraging
women to vote. She referred to the development of a project
with UNDP to raise awareness about the importance of voting,
but expressed regret at the slow pace of overall progress in
raising political consciousness among women. Commenting on
the lone female candidate for the Municipal Council seat now
open after the incumbent was appointed to the Parliament (ref
C),she said her campaign was a test case for people to
demonstrate their support for women candidates. She was not
optimistic about Janan Ramadan Bushihri's chances for being
elected to the Council, explaining that with seven candidates
running for the seat, her support base would be eroded.
Recalling her June 2005 meeting with NEA PDAS Cheney, Dr.
Ma'souma said Kuwaiti women needed to be encouraged to run
for office and that MEPI-funded training programs had been
very successful and should be repeated (refs I and J).

Labor Law Needed to Lessen Worker Exploitation
-------------- -


5. (SBU) Commenting on other legislative priorities, Dr.
Ma'souma said passage of a new labor law was on the GOK
priority list for the legislative session. She reported
progress on measures to protect Kuwait's 450,000 domestic
workers, but said the real challenge was implementation and
the need to change the mentality of Kuwaiti employers and
address shady practices in the sending countries. She
admitted that Kuwait needed a new law, but said that equal
attention must be paid to the source countries. She cited
the Bangladeshi Prime Minister's decision to ban the travel
of women under 35 to Gulf states as an effective tool in
combating human trafficking and worker exploitation.

Slow, but Steady Progress on the Five-Year Plan
-------------- --


6. (SBU) Reviewing progress on the Ministry's five-year
plan for the Government, she said the Cabinet would soon
discuss it so that it could be reviewed by the Supreme
Planning Board before going to Parliament. The
budget-oriented plan sets economic, social, educational,
health, and development goals for 2006-2011. The Minister
hoped it would have Parliament's approval before the start of
the new fiscal year on April 1.

********************************************* *
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