Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MANAMA766
2006-05-02 12:20:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manama
Cable title:  

COR PRESIDENT AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHAIRMAN DISCUSS

Tags:  PGOV PREL PTER ETRD KIPR ETTC BA BILAT ECTRD 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0671
OO RUEHDE
DE RUEHMK #0766/01 1221220
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 021220Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4618
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL 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 02 MANAMA 000766 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE PASS TO USTR FOR JASON BUNTIN AND AARON ROSENBERG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ETRD KIPR ETTC BA BILAT ECTRD
POL, REGION, OFFICIALS
SUBJECT: COR PRESIDENT AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHAIRMAN DISCUSS
LEGISLATION

REF: MANAMA 549

Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000766

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE PASS TO USTR FOR JASON BUNTIN AND AARON ROSENBERG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ETRD KIPR ETTC BA BILAT ECTRD
POL, REGION, OFFICIALS
SUBJECT: COR PRESIDENT AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHAIRMAN DISCUSS
LEGISLATION

REF: MANAMA 549

Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.

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


1. (C) The Ambassador met separately with Council of
Representatives (COR) President Al Dahrani and COR Foreign
Affairs, Defense and National Security Committee Chairman
Ahmed Behzad on April 23 and 24 respectively to discuss
pending legislation of U.S. interest. Both MPs expressed
their confidence that FTA-related IPR amendments and separate
anti-terrorism legislation would be passed during the current
legislative session. Behzad said that legislation covering
public gatherings had been sent from committee to the full
parliament. Al Dahrani expressed his opposition to jail time
for journalists, a contentious issue in the discussion of a
new press law. Al Dahrani doubted the government would send
the 2007-2008 budget to the parliament for approval before
the current session ends in June ahead of parliamentary
elections. He clarified earlier public remarks on including
appointed members on municipal councils. End Summary.

--------------
Hopes for July 1 FTA Implementation
--------------


2. (C) During a meeting with the Ambassador April 23,
Council of Representatives President Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al
Dahrani expressed confidence that several pieces of
legislation of interest to the USG will be passed by the end
of the current legislative term, which is scheduled to run
through mid-June. The Ambassador stressed that legislation
amending Bahrain's intellectual property rights (IPR) regime
must be approved expeditiously in order to implement the FTA
on July 1. (Note: The COR received six IPR amendments as a
package when, for the first time in Bahrain's four-year
legislative history, fast-track authority was invoked. The
amendments cleared the COR and are now moving to the upper

house Shura Council. The amended copyright law and trademark
treaty must still pass both councils. End note.) Al Dahrani
included anti-money laundering legislation among those he
anticipated that the COR would pass this legislative term.


3. (C) The following day, April 24, the Ambassador met with
COR Foreign Affairs, Defense and National Security Committee
Chairman Ahmed Ibrahim Behzad. In addition to praising the
passage of the IPR amendments, Behzad expressed concern that
implementation of the FTA has been delayed. The country's
oil production is declining, so Bahrain needs to focus more
on trade and investment opportunities, primarily for Gulf
investors. Once other Gulf countries have their own FTAs,
the incentive to invest in Bahrain diminishes. He said that
Bahrain's continued success in democratic progress depends
upon a strong and growing economy. He noted that recent
street disturbances both distract the King from moving
forward on democracy and discourage investors from
considering Bahrain.

-------------- --------------
Optimism on Counterterrorism and Assembly Legislation
-------------- --------------


4. (C) Both parliamentarians expressed similar optimism on
the passage of anti-terrorism legislation, estimating that it
would pass by the end of May. When the Ambassador noted some
controversy about the bill, Al Dahrani agreed there had been
some "good dialogue" in the COR, and it was difficult to
predict the final form of the legislation before
parliamentary discussion was completed. Behzad confirmed
that the title of the legislation had been changed in
committee to "Protection of Society Security Law" to focus on
protecting the people rather than fighting terrorism. He
recognized that due to the law's controversy, the committee
had to accommodate the concerns of some MPs, but he assured
the Ambassador that the draft legislation criminalized
conspiracy and planning, as well as committing terrorist
acts, a hole in existing Bahraini law that needs to be
plugged.


5. (C) Behzad said that another piece of legislation passed
by his committee to the full parliament was a law on public
gatherings. Previous draft legislation had drawn criticism
from Shia MPs and others in the community, so it was reviewed

MANAMA 00000766 002 OF 002


by the government, amended, and re-sent to the committee. He
said that the draft restricts gatherings from forming near
commercial areas, hospitals, the airport, and roads leading
to these areas. Although the right to protest is important,
this right cannot infringe on another's right to access to
these protest-free zones. The public needs to realize that
one's freedom needs to be limited when it begins to affect
another's freedom.

--------------
Press Law
--------------


6. (C) When asked about the press law under discussion in
the COR, Al Dahrani said that it is important to get the law
passed this term. (Note: An area of contentious discussion
on this legislation is jail time for journalists who
criticize the King or Islam, among other proposed restricted
topics, in their reporting. End note.) Al Dahrani said that
the jailing of journalists is not an effective solution, but
that fines should be levied to make editors more accountable.
Some reporters want to be heroes by writing sensational
stories, but holding editors accountable will make reporting
more responsible.

--------------
Pushing Through a Future Budget
--------------


7. (C) The Ambassador asked Chairman Al Dahrani about rumors
that the Cabinet would deliver the 2007-2008 draft budget to
the parliament for consideration during the current session.
Al Dahrani said that he had heard the rumors through the
press like everyone else, but he doubted there would be
enough time for that to happen. (Note: The government may be
thinking it will have difficulty getting the budget through a
future, less friendly parliament, so it may attempt to get
next year's budget approved before the end of the current
legislative session. End note.) He recognized that many
members of the current parliament were strong on finance and
budgeting and that a future COR may not have that same level
of expertise. In the current COR, more than 25 percent of
members have expertise in finance, enough to form two full
Financial and Economic Committees, whereas the next COR will
likely consist of more politically-minded members and may not
have enough qualified members to fill even one Financial and
Economic Committee.

--------------
Future of Municipal Councils
--------------


8. (C) The Ambassador asked Al Dahrani about a proposal he
made in a recent interview advocating that municipal councils
include appointed members in addition to elected members.
(Note: Currently the five municipal councils are composed of
10 elected members each. End note.) Al Dahrani acknowledged
that elections were good, but that elections may not always
bring the most qualified people into office. Elections in
Bahrain are influenced by tribal and other loyalties, so it
may be beneficial to consider Kuwait's municipal council
model that includes elected and appointed members. The
formation of Bahrain's municipal councils was conducted in
haste; the councils may be too large for such a small
country. Al Dahrani admitted that the municipal council
experience is still new in Bahrain and in the future the
councils may become more effective in delivering services at
the local level.

--------------
Iran
--------------


9. (C) Behzad expressed his concern over the growing
diplomatic conflict with Iran. "If Iran is attacked it will
be dangerous, but if it is not attacked it will still be
dangerous." He also commented on the political motives of a
few MPs who are vocal in their support for Bahraini detainees
at Guantanamo, saying that their support is really a
reelection campaign tactic. Finally, Behzad said that four
years of public service was enough and that he would not run
for another term in the COR. He is looking forward to
returning to his business, which has been managed primarily
by family members since he became an MP in 2002.

MONROE