Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MANAMA2061
2006-12-21 12:19:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manama
Cable title:  

KING'S ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT MARRED BY AL WIFAQ

Tags:  PGOV KDEM BA POL 
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OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHMK #2061/01 3551219
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 211219Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6211
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANAMA 002061 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM BA POL
SUBJECT: KING'S ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT MARRED BY AL WIFAQ
BOYCOTT

REF: A. MANAMA 2031

B. MANAMA 2009

C. MANAMA 1728

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

-------
Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANAMA 002061

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM BA POL
SUBJECT: KING'S ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT MARRED BY AL WIFAQ
BOYCOTT

REF: A. MANAMA 2031

B. MANAMA 2009

C. MANAMA 1728

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

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) In his speech to a joint session of parliament
December 15, King Hamad announced his instructions for the
government to take several measures to ease the financial
burden on Bahrain's lowest-income citizens. He ordered a 50
percent cut on outstanding government loans for public
housing and a housing subsidy of BD 100 ($265) per month for
those who have waited more than five years to receive a
government-provided home. He instructed pension payments to
be increased by 20 percent and granted the two public pension
funds ownership of public lands to improve their financial
position. Although the King spoke about Bahrain's unity and
cohesion, Shia opposition political society Al Wifaq's 17
deputies boycotted the session to protest what they perceived
as unfair treatment and lack of consultation on Council of
Representatives (COR) leadership positions and government
appointments. Al Wifaq also boycotted the COR's December 19
procedural session, during which the 23 MPs who were present
voted for former speaker Dhahrani to retain his position and
leaders of the two Sunni blocs to the first and second deputy
slots. Bahrain is abuzz with speculation about Al Wifaq's
intentions, with one well-informed contact saying that the
boycott was a signal to the government that Al Wifaq may
return to street actions if it is unable to deliver on its
legislative agenda in the parliament. End Summary.

--------------
King Reduces Burden on Poor, Retired
--------------


2. (SBU) King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa December 15 delivered
his national day address to a joint session of the National
Assembly, composed of the appointed upper house Shura Council
and elected lower house Council of Representatives, in a
session marred by the boycott of Shia opposition political
society Al Wifaq's 17 members in the COR. Taking a page from
Al Wifaq's playbook, the King in his annual speech focused on
improving the living conditions for the neediest citizens,
promising to reduce the amount due on government loans for

public housing, offering a monthly stipend to those waiting
for public housing, and raising pension payments. He said,
"Bahrain is determined to ease its people's financial burdens
and to share its prosperity. On this occasion, and out of
our keenness to alleviate our citizen's financial burdens,
particularly those of limited income, we ordered a 50 percent
reduction of the remaining total value of loans for homes
that have been assigned to them by the government." The
Finance Ministry announced December 16 that this move
benefits some 13,500 families at a one-time cost to the
government of BD 190 million ($503 million).


3. (SBU) A common complaint in Bahrain is that those
eligible for public housing spend an extended period of time,
sometimes more than 15 years, before receiving an apartment
or house. The King addressed this issue, saying, "We have
ordered the payment of a housing allowance for families with
limited income who have been on the (housing) waiting list
for over five years, in order to lessen citizens' burdens."
The press subsequently reported that low-income families in
this situation will receive BD 100 ($265) per month from the
government. The King announced an increase in pension
payments (by 20 percent) and took steps to improve the
financial health of the two public pension funds. "In the
same context, and out of the attention and care that we pay
to retired citizens, we ordered that the minimum retirement
basic wage payable by both the Pension Fund and the General
Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) be raised. This is
in appreciation for their valuable and sincere efforts in
serving the nation during the term of their service in both
the public and private sectors." He also announced that
public lands would be transferred to the Pension Fund and
GOSI for real estate investment purposes to improve the
funds' financial position.

--------------
Praise for Unity While Wifaq Boycotts
--------------


4. (SBU) In the face of Al Wifaq's boycott of the session,
the King praised Bahrain's unity and cohesion. He said,
"Bahrain has embraced the values of diversity and

MANAMA 00002061 002 OF 003


coexistence, values we have held in high esteem since the
birth of this dear country. Of the Muslim family, Bahrain
houses the most tolerant sects, and of the human family,
Bahrain houses diverse religions. This coexistence
represents the most noble sentiments. Such Islamic and human
diversity have made Bahrain great."

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Complaints of Unfair Treatment
--------------


5. (C) Al Wifaq sources said the group took the decision to
boycott the joint session to protest what it perceived as
unfair treatment and lack of consultation on divvying up COR
leadership positions and government appointments to the new
Cabinet and Shura Council (Refs A and B). Since the
elections ended on December 2, there had been reports in the
press of the largest blocs jockeying for the three leadership
positions and the chairs of the COR's five committees. Until
just a few days before the King's December 15 address, the
groups seemed to have coalesced around the reelection of
independent Sunni elder statesman Khalifa Al Dhahrani as
speaker, Al Wifaq leader Shaikh Ali Salman as first deputy,
and a representative of either Sunni Salafi Al Asala or Sunni
Muslim Brotherhood Al Minbar as second deputy. But just days
before the King's address, Al Wifaq announced that it should
hold the speaker position because it represents the single
largest bloc in the COR.


6. (C) Al Wifaq MP and economist Jassim Hussein admitted to
Emboffs that Al Wifaq had waited too long before deciding to
pursue the speaker position. He told the Ambassador that
Shaikh Ali Salman had become angry with what he viewed as
government interference in COR negotiations over the
leadership positions. Not only was the Al Wifaq bloc the
largest in the COR, but Hussein stated that Al Wifaq
candidates had received 62 percent of votes cast in the two
rounds of parliamentary elections, putting it in a commanding
position to either hold the speaker slot itself or give its
explicit approval to a candidate from outside the bloc.

--------------
No Consultations on Cabinet, Shura
--------------


7. (C) Hussein also said that the government should have
consulted with Al Wifaq on Cabinet and Shura Council
appointments. For example, Al Wifaq founding member Nizar Al
Baharna was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs,
but no one from the government had discussed this possibility
with Al Wifaq. Additionally, Al Wifaq strenuously objected
to the reappointment of Shaikh Ahmed bin Atiyatallah Al
Khalifa as Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Faisal
Fulad to the Shura Council, both of whom were implicated in
the Al Bandar report alleging a wide-ranging conspiracy to
sway parliamentary election outcomes (Ref C).


8. (C) Hussein stated that Al Wifaq had been working with an
unnamed intermediary who ad tried to broker a compromise
between the grou and the government. However, when it
appeared that there would not be a solution before the King's
address, Al Wifaq MPs briefed senior Shia cleris Shaikh Isa
Qassim and Shaikh Hussein Nejati. he press reported that in
his Friday prayer sermon, delivered just a few hours before
the National Assembly session on December 15, Shaikh Isa
asserted that Al Wifaq is the biggest bloc in parliament,
making it eligible to have the position of speaker. He said
that a legitimate parliament should have a speaker from the
opposition, following the model of the 1973 parliament. With
implicit support from Shaikh Isa and no movement on
negotiations with the government, Al Wifaq announced a
three-day boycott of the COR. Hussein said that he and a few
others in the Al Wifaq bloc opposed a boycott but a majority
of the 17 deputies supported it.

--------------
Wifaq Shut Out of Leadership Positions
--------------


9. (SBU) Although the three-day boycott had expired, the Al
Wifaq bloc also did not attend the December 19 COR procedural
session. Then-acting speaker Al Dhahrani decided to proceed
with swearing in the 23 deputies who were present and holding
elections for the speaker and first and second deputy
positions. In Al Wifaq's absence, Al Dhahrani was reelected
as speaker, Al Asala's Ghanem Al Buainein was elected first
deputy, and Al Minbar's Salah Ali took the second deputy
position. Later in the day December 19, Al Wifaq issued a
press release saying its boycott was over and it would attend
future COR sessions, including the Prime Minister's

MANAMA 00002061 003 OF 003


presentation of the government program to parliament on
December 20. In fact, all but three Al Wifaq deputies
attended the session. (Separately, Shura Council speaker Ali
Saleh (Shia) December 19 held elections for the first and
second deputy positions, won by Jamal Fakhro (Sunni) and
Alice Samaan (Christian).)

--------------
Press Condemns Boycott
--------------


10. (SBU) Press commentary on Al Wifaq's boycott was almost
universally negative. Akhbar Al Khaleej editor-in-chief
Anwar Abdul Rahman wrote a front-page editorial December 16
that called Al Wifaq's absence from the King's address "an
insult to the nation." "It is time for Al Wifaq to learn
that democracy is not about dictating, it is about
partnership," he wrote. "What pattern of democracy do you
have in mind, one that suits only you, at the expense of all
others?" In a December 19 piece titled "What's Next?," Al
Watan columnist Sawsan Al Shaer called on Al Wifaq to change
its position and participate in the COR. She said "this
confrontation is in vain," and pointed out that Al Wifaq does
not hold a majority in the COR and thus cannot control the
outcome of votes. She asked, "Is this happening just to
disrupt the process?"

--------------
Comment
--------------


11. (C) Bahrain is abuzz with speculation about what Al
Wifaq's intentions are. Despite the group's reported belief
that it "deserves" the speaker position, an Al Wifaq
candidate for the position would have had to get 21 out of 40
votes, an unlikely prospect unless it engaged in real
dialogue and negotiation with the COR's Sunni blocs and
independent deputies. One well-informed contact said that Al
Wifaq wanted to put the government on notice that it could
return to street actions - demonstrations, protests,
petitions, boycotting a COR session, withdrawing from
parliament - if it is unable to deliver on its legislative
agenda. A Bahraini blogger wondered if, by not taking any of
the three top leadership positions, Al Wifaq was signaling to
its constituents that it should not be held responsible or
blamed for "the inherent impotence of the parliament."
Whatever the motivation, the boycott resulted in turning
mainstream opinion against the group and has the potential to
empower Shia rejectionists, best exemplified by the hardline
Haq Movement, who boycotted the elections and have repeatedly
accused Al Wifaq of selling out.


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