FREEDOM AGENDA: FEMALE MUNICIPALITY CANDIDATE SAYS WIN OR

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000760

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE, SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARP AND DRL


E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KWMN PINR KU
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: FEMALE MUNICIPALITY CANDIDATE SAYS WIN OR
LOSE, CAMPAIGNING A GOOD LEARNING EXPERIENCE

REF: A) Kuwait 495
B) Kuwait 475
C) Kuwait 85

Sensitive but unclassified; not for internet distribution.


1. (U) On March 5, PolChief and PolAsst met with Engineer Jenan
Ramadan Bushihri, a candidate for the upcoming special Municipal
Council election and the first Kuwaiti woman to actually run for
public office (ref A). Bushihri, a married 32-year-old mother of
two, is currently the Director of the Food Laboratory Department at
the Municipal Council. She has worked at the Municipal Council
since 1996 when she graduated from Kuwait University's Engineering
Faculty. She earned a master's degree in chemical engineering and
pollution from Kuwait University in 2000 and is currently working on
her PhD from Ain Shams University in Cairo.


2. (SBU) Bushihri told EmbOffs she was considering running in the
2009 Municipal Council elections, but when a seat on the 16-member
council became available, she was encouraged to run for office by
family, friends, and especially her uncle Jawad Bushihri, a
prominent businessman, who is financing her campaign. (Note: Special
elections are necessary to fill the Council seat vacated when
Councilmember Abdullah Al-Muhailbi was appointed as Minister of
Municipal Affairs (Ref B). End Note.)


3. (SBU) In contrast to aggressive campaigning for the 2007
parliamentary elections by activist Dr. Rola Dashti and journalist
Aisha Al-Reshaid, Bushihri believes a non-confrontational campaign
based on the issues and her abilities will resonate more among the
28,000 voters in her district. (Note: There are 10 Municipal
Council districts versus the current 25 for Parliament. End note.)
She does not believe Kuwait is ready for women to break tradition by
visiting men's diwaniyas, but said she would reach this audience
through her husband, father, and brothers, as well as through video
teleconferences. She was optimistic that by the 2009 Municipal
Council elections, most diwaniyas would be mixed and a woman's
presence would not be unusual.


3. (U) Bushihri said that being elected to the Municipal Council
is not a goal in itself, but rather a means to bettering Kuwait.
Her campaign objectives are to lessen traffic congestion and reduce
the pollution that emanates from Kuwait's oil refineries. Another
goal is her own political education; commenting that she was still
young, she said that running for office would be a good learning
experience even if she is not elected.

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