PARLIAMENT UNLIKELY TO PASS NO CONFIDENCE MOTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000195 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL KPAL KU NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ISLAMISTS SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT UNLIKELY TO PASS NO CONFIDENCE MOTION ON HEALTH MINISTER, NEW GATHERINGS LAW REF: A. KUWAIT 56 ¶B. 06 KUWAIT 2883 ¶C. 06 KUWAIT 2855 ¶D. 06 KUWAIT 1529 Classified By: CDA Matt Tueller for reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Islamist MP Khudair Al-Enezi told Poloffs that a no confidence motion on the Minister of HEALTH was likely to be submitted after his February 19 grilling, but was unlikely to pass. Al-Enezi said that while he personally opposed the grilling, he would support it in Parliament as decided by the ICM leadership. He said there was little support for the Government's new Gatherings Law in Parliament and predicted it would not be approved. Al-Enezi claimed that the ICM had repeatedly urged Hamas to accept previous international agreements, but was less clear on whether or not the ICM believed Hamas should also recognize Israel and renounce terrorism. End summary. Health Minister Unlikely to Be Voted Out -------------- ¶2. (C) Islamist MP Khudair Al-Enezi told Poloffs February 12 that some parliamentarians were planning to submit a no confidence motion on Shaykh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Sabah, the Minister of HEALTH and the Amir's nephew, after his planned "grilling" February 19 (ref A). Although Al-Enezi believed the MPs would get the ten signatures needed to submit the motion, he did not think they would get the 25 votes needed to pass it and force the HEALTH Minister to resign. (Note: There are 65 seats in Parliament, but the 16 Cabinet Ministers, who serve as ex officio MPs, cannot vote on no confidence motions. End note.) Al-Enezi, a member of the Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM),the political arm of the Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood, said that while he personally opposed the grilling he would adhere to the ICM's decision and support it in Parliament. Al-Enezi explained that although he agreed that HEALTH services in the country had deteriorated, he opposed the grilling because his tribe, the Eneza, was historically "close to the Al-Sabah." He did not indicate whether or not the ICM would support a no confidence motion on the Minister. Little Parliamentary Support for New Gatherings Law -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Al-Enezi did not think Parliament would pass the Government's new Gatherings Law, drafted to replace the ONE overturned by the Constitutional Court in May 2006 (ref D). The draft law has been widely criticized for being even more restrictive than the previous one. Al-Enezi agreed on the need to prevent demonstrations on sensitive foreign policy issues, such as the pro-Hizballah rallies that took place last summer (refs B and C),but said he nonetheless opposed the law because it could also be used to prevent local groups from holding rallies on domestic political issues. "(These rallies) are our part of our right to freedom of expression," he concluded. ICM Urges Hamas to Honor Past Agreements -------------- ¶4. (C) Al-Enezi claimed the ICM had repeatedly urged Hamas to accept international agreements signed by previous Palestinian leaders. Al-Enezi was less clear on whether or not the ICM believed Hamas should also recognize Israel and renounce terrorism. When asked, he responded rather vaguely that Hamas should recognize political realities and work with the international community. Bio Note -------------- ¶5. (C) Al-Enezi is a first-time MP from the conservative district of New Jahra. As his name implies, he is a member of the Eneza tribe. Al-Enezi told Poloffs he is viewed as a "liberal" by other Islamist MPs due to his pragmatic position on many issues. He has been the leading advocate of Bidoon (stateless Arabs) rights in Parliament, where he serves as the Rapporteur on the recently-established Bidoon Affairs Committee. Al-Enezi is a friendly, engaging interlocutor. ********************************************* * 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/ KUWAIT 00000195 002 OF 002 ********************************************* * TUELLER