ELECTION HIGHLIGHTS NO. 3: CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 001814

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM BA POL
SUBJECT: ELECTION HIGHLIGHTS NO. 3: CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF,
SHAIKH ISA QASSEM TELLS SHI'A TO VOTE

Classified By: DCM Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: By the conclusion of the official
registration period for parliamentary candidates, a total of
221 have registered, 18 of whom are women. The official
campaign period opens October 20. In his Friday sermon on
October 13, Shaikh Isa Qassem, chairman of the Islamic
Scholars Council (Shi'a),encouraged the Shi'a community to
vote in the November elections. There are indications that
the ten general polling stations, at which citizens from any
of Bahrain's 40 districts may vote and have it registered to
their district of residence, may be scrapped after political
societies expressed concerns about the stations being
unnecessary and vulnerable to impropriety. End summary.


2. (SBU) REGISTRATION WRAP-UP: The registration period for
parliamentary candidates concluded October 16 with a total of
221 candidates applying. Eighteen of the registrants are
women, including the first woman MP in an Arab Gulf state,
Latifa Al Qa'oud, who is running unopposed in her district
(septel). Of the 40 incumbents, 29 have registered in hopes
of being re-elected. The number of independent candidates is

120. Thirty-five identify themselves as clerics. Leading
Shi'a political society Al Wifaq has the largest block of
candidates at 18, including six clerics. The five-week
campaign period will officially open October 20 and extend
through November 24. The Ministry of Justice allowed a
three-day appeals process between the close of registration
and the start of the official campaign. The Bahrain
Transparency Society issued a statement October 19
acknowledging that the registration process, for the most
part, ran smoothly.


3. (SBU) SHAIKH ISA THUMBS UP: During his Friday sermon
October 13, chairman of the Islamic Scholars Council Shaikh
Isa Qassem encouraged the Shi'a community to participate in
the upcoming elections. He said, "Even though this reform
experiment is not perfect, if the deputies are loyal to
public issues and do their jobs faithfully, then the
government will be to blame if there is little progress.
Further boycotts will pull us out of the political struggle
and will not offer any gains in return." Some likened his
announcement to that of Grand Ayatollah Sistani when he
encouraged Iraqi Shi'a to vote in the Iraqi elections.
Qassem was in favor of participation in the 2002 elections,
but Al Wifaq and other Shi'a groups decided to boycott in
protest over the 2002 constitution.


4. (SBU) GENERAL POLLING STATIONS: Political society
sources told Arabic daily Al Waqt October 19 that Minister of
Justice Mohamed Ali Al Sitri has conveyed to top GOB
leadership the concerns of political societies regarding the
ten general polling stations. The sources predict that GOB
leadership will issue a decree to cancel the use of these
polling stations. (Note: General polling stations, which
can accommodate voters from any of the 40 districts, were
used in the 2002 elections in addition to the 40 district
polling stations--one in each district--so that citizens
could vote with some level of anonymity. This was especially
important in 2002 because four political societies boycotted
the elections. The general polling stations allowed citizens
who felt pressure not to vote in their own communities to
vote in an alternate venue. End note.) Political societies
made the argument this year that there is no boycott and
therefore no need for general polling stations. Election
officials said that general polling stations were to be made
available this year for the convenience of voters whose work
is not close to their district station, who may be traveling
on election day (the airport and Saudi causeway are likely
locations for general polling stations),or who may have some
other business at a distance from their home district. Some
politicians have argued that the general polling stations
could be used by Saudi nationals holding Bahraini citizenship
or newly naturalized citizens to influence election outcomes
in close races.


5. (C) WOMEN CANDIDATES: In an October 18 conversation with
Poloff, Mariam Al Rowaie, Women's Union president and
parliamentary candidate running against independent Salafi
incumbent Jasim Al Saeedi, described phone calls she has
received from known callers supporting Al Saeedi and
encouraging her to withdraw from the race. She also has seen
text messages sent by Islamists in her district claiming it
is against Islamic teachings (haram) to vote for women. In
describing her district as a mix of modest Bahrainis and poor
naturalized citizens, Al Rowaie said that Al Saeedi and other
Islamists in her district have exploited this reality by
distributing large sums of Zakat money which, according to
her, they receive from Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti businessmen.
She said they distribute 40 BD ($106) per person. And those

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working for Al Saeedi in this distribution scheme have earned
enough to buy property and build homes in the district.


6. (SBU) In the press October 19, Al Saeedi admitted
distributing money but claimed he gives to citizens in all of
Bahrain including "Sitra and East Rifa'a" (Shi'a areas). He
claimed he started distributing money many years before
becoming a member of parliament and denied that the money was
used as part of his election campaign. Al Rowaie called on
election authorities to take action against this
"manipulation of the election." She also called on the GOB
to monitor Friday sermons to ensure that what is said there
will not unduly influence voters.


7. (SBU) During his Friday sermon October 13, a Sunni cleric
in the Central Governorate called upon voters not to vote for
women in the elections as it is haram. Women candidates in
the district where the mosque is located expressed their
anger and called for the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) to
intervene. Sources said that the SCW was discussing the case
and considering possible action.


8. (SBU) POSSIBLE ELECTION MISDEMEANORS: Deputy Chairman
and spokesperson of Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS) Dr.
Abdulla Al Derazi said that the society had already started
observing the election process. He said that there was
evidence of violations related to the official start of the
campaign season. Some candidates had taken advantage of
Ramadan-related social and sporting activities by posting
their pictures at the event locations, a practice not
permitted until the beginning of the official campaign
period. Al Derazi also indicated that BHRS had received
calls from citizens saying that the Central Informatics
Organization had made available vacant plots of land near
their residences for use by some candidates for
campaign-related activities.


9. (SBU) NEW SHURA COUNCIL: Arabic daily Al Ayam reported
that there are approximately 250 individuals being considered
for the new Shura Council, while approximately half of the
former Shura members will likely be asked back for another
term. Sources said that the number of women in the new Shura
Council will depend on how many women are elected to the COR
so that there are a total of 10 women between the Council of
Representatives (COR) and the Shura. (Note: There are
currently six women in the Shura and none in the COR. End
note.) The names of the new Shura members will be announced
after the elections.


10. (C) COMMENT: Shaikh Isa Qassem's announcement is
significant for the Shi'a community, giving a boost to Al
Wifaq and other Shi'a political societies. It also serves to
undercut a fairly small but growing influence from the Haq
Movement to disenchant voters and pull them away from their
inclination to participate in the process. Haq has been
fairly aggressive in reaching out, especially to young Shi'a
voters, encouraging them to continue the boycott. As for the
potential scrapping of general polling stations, it could be
a particularly satisfying victory to the opposition, as they
have long raised their voices in dismay that in 2002, Saudis
with Bahraini passports were able to vote in cognito at
general polling stations and influence close races around the
island.

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