FREEDOM AGENDA: LIBERALS, ISLAMISTS GETTING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001153 SIPDIS SIPDIS NOFORN FOR NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2027 TAGS: PGOV EG KU SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: LIBERALS, ISLAMISTS GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT LEGALIZATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Timothy Lenderking for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C/NF) Summary: Many Kuwaitis are frustrated by the unproductive relationship between the parliament and the Government as well as by the weakness of the Government's leadership. One proposed solution that has long been bandied about is the legalization of political parties. A liberal MP recently drafted and circulated a political parties law that he intends to introduce when parliament comes back from its summer recess in October. Islamists also support political parties, though they differ with the liberals on whether parties can be founded on the basis of religion. An MP from the Kuwaiti parliament's third opposition grouping, the populists, also supports parties, though with some reservations. The Government will work hard to fight party legalization, but opposition groups want to exploit the Government's currently weak position to make progress on the party legalization law. Non-governmental elements also have hesitations about political parties because of fears that parties might increase the divisions in Kuwaiti society and because of their negative associations with political parties in the rest of the Arab world. While it is unlikely the law will pass soon, it signals the emboldening of opposition groups and may be a harbinger of continued confrontation between the parliament and the Government when the summer recess ends. End Summary. Liberal MP Circulates Political Parties Law -------------- ¶2. (C/NF) The continuing inability of parliament and the Government to work together to pass major legislation has led to increased calls for reform. One key area of reform that has increased in prominence recently is the legalization of political parties, which are prohibited in Kuwait de facto though not de jure. Early in July, liberal former judge and current MP Ali Al-Rashed publicly circulated a draft law to establish political parties in Kuwait. Al-Rashed told PolOff on July 17 that he hopes parties will result in more focus on big-picture political issues, as opposed to the "mess" of parliamentary politics now, which largely focus on personal power struggles. Furthermore, he argued, the political groupings that currently operate in Kuwait are not regulated. Legalization of parties would subject these organizations to public scrutiny that could prevent them from engaging in illegal activities or establishing ties with foreign or extremist parties. Al-Rashed plans to gather comments from interested parties during the summer recess and introduce the law when the parliament reconvenes in late October. Islamists Support Parties, Differ on Specifics -------------- - ¶3. (C/NF) Mohammad Al-Dallal, Director of Political Relations for the Islamic Constitutional Movement (the ICM is the political wing of the Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood),told PolOff on July 18 that he supported Ali Al-Rashed's move to establish a political parties law. Al-Dallal said the ICM is preparing its own draft law, which it hopes to unveil soon. His main objection to Al-Rashed's law is that it forbids the formation of political parties based on religion. Al-Dallal noted that such a provision has failed miserably in Egypt. He prefers a clause stipulating that all parties must pursue platforms consistent with the constitution, which cites Shari'a as a main source of legislation. He predicted that the ICM could reach a compromise on this issue with Al-Rashed, though he thought other liberals would be more stubborn. Al-Dallal conceded that passage of the law soon would be difficult. However, he also said that now is the right time to try to make progress on a political parties law because the Government is weak. Populists also Support Political Parties -------------- ¶4. (C/NF) An MP from the third major opposition grouping in the parliament, the populist Popular Action Bloc (PAB),also supports political parties. Shi'a MP Hassan Jowhar told PolOff on July 18 that parties were key to raising the level of political discourse in Kuwait's parliament. However, he echoed the arguments of many of those who oppose parties when he expressed concern that parties would only solidify the existing splits in Kuwaiti society and perhaps even lessen the degree to which they are willing to cooperate. He said that ideally there would be a way to have a two-party system that would force various elements of Kuwaiti society to work together. He conceded that he does not have ideas about how to put a two-party system into practice. KUWAIT 00001153 002 OF 002 Opposition to Parties: Government -------------- ¶5. (C/NF) Al-Dallal and Al-Rashed both agreed that the Government will oppose political parties because they would be harder to manipulate than individual MPs. Al-Rashed drew special attention to anti-democratic figures in the royal family, such as National Security Bureau Shaykh Ahmad al-Fahd Al-Sabah, whom he said want to go back to an earlier era when the Government could buy parliamentarians' acquiescence. (Note: Many reformers accuse Shaykh Ahmad Al-Fahd and his allies in the royal family of unscrupulous meddling in the parliament to prevent it from enacting political reforms. End Note.) Approximately one third of the elected MPs are pro-Government and could probably be marshaled against the legalization of political parties. Along with the ministers, these MPs could make it difficult to pass political party legislation. However, Al-Rashed told PolOff that ruling family elements such as Shaykh Ahmad Al-Fahd had been badly weakened since the reform movement of 2006, so now was the time to try to move the issue forward. Non-Governmental Opposition to Parties: Kuwait Not Ready -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) While almost all opposition elements support political parties in principle, not all of them agree that now is the right time. In a July 14 discussion on political reform organized by the Al-Qabas Arabic daily, liberal former MP Abdulmuhsin Mud'ij said that in recent years Kuwaitis have become too attached to identity politics (tribal, sectarian, etc.). He supports parties in principle but said Kuwaitis would need to learn to shift their focus to issues of national concern before being ready for parties. Abdulmuhsin Jamal, a member of the Shi'a, pro-Iran National Islamic Alliance, agreed that theoretically parties were a good idea. But he pointed to the recent paralysis between the Government and the opposition-dominated parliament as evidence that parties could only work in practice if the prime minister were chosen from the majority party. This would necessitate a constitutional amendment, he argued, since the constitution stipulates that the Amir chooses the prime minister. ¶7. (C/NF) Ali Al-Rashed told PolOff that many Kuwaitis have negative associations with parties because of what they see in other Arab countries. Abdulmuhsin Jamal asserted that Kuwaitis also have negative associations with parties because of various religious and nationalist Arab parties' support for Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Al-Rashed argued that Kuwaiti parties would be better than other Arab parties because Kuwait's laws provide for great political freedom. He expressed confidence that a concerted publicity effort would convince Kuwaitis to support parties. ¶8. (C/NF) Comment: Political parties will probably not be legalized any time soon, since the Amir can veto any such legislation, and overturning an Amiri veto is difficult. However, the issue brings together the normally divided opposition elements in parliament: the liberals, the Islamists, and the populists. In the summer of 2006, these same groups got together and formed a reform bloc that was able to impose its will on the Government to change Kuwait's electoral districts. The political parties legalization issue does not yet have the same momentum that the redistricting had, and royal family opposition promises to be more determined than it was on redistricting. But the issue could provide a unifying cause for opposition groups that will lead to continued confrontation between the parliament and the Government. End Comment. ********************************************* * 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/ ********************************************* * Lenderking