AMBASSADOR AND NEWLY APPOINTED DEPUTY PRIME

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000013

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV BA POL OFFICIALS
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND NEWLY APPOINTED DEPUTY PRIME
MINISTER DISCUSS POLITICS, LEGAL REFORM

REF: A. 06 MANAMA 2061

B. 06 MANAMA 2031

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

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


1. (C) The Ambassador January 4 called on new Deputy Prime
Minister Jawad Al Arayedh and discussed local politics, the
democratic reform process, and legal reform. Al Arayedh said
the political climate had improved since Shia political
society Al Wifaq boycotted the King's December 15 address to
parliament. He said the government wants Al Wifaq to
participate fully in the political system and noted the
government may have a tough time dealing with the new
parliament - "a good thing," in his view. He thought that Al
Wifaq would achieve some success in pursuing its legislative
agenda. On democratization, he said Bahrain had accomplished
a lot but warned that transition takes time. Al Arayedh
wants to lead an effort to revise and update Bahrain's laws
and legal framework, and he asked if ABA consultants could
work with him on this effort. End Summary.


2. (C) The Ambassador January 4 met with newly appointed
Deputy Prime Minister Jawad Al Arayedh and discussed the
political situation, democratization, and legal reform, among
other issues. Per Ref B, Al Arayedh is a long-serving
government official, having first become a minister in 1971,
when he was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.
He also served as minister of state for cabinet affairs,
health, municipalities and environmental affairs, and
justice. Until his appointment on December 11, he had been
an advisor to the prime minister for legal affairs. He comes
from a wealthy Shia merchant family and is the first Shia to
reach the rank of deputy prime minister.

--------------
Political Atmosphere Improving
--------------


2. (C) In response to the Ambassador's question, Al Arayedh
said the political atmosphere had improved since leading Shia
opposition political society Al Wifaq "committed the mistake"
of not attending the King's address to a joint session of
parliament December 15 (Ref A). He thought that Al Wifaq's
decision not to attend the Council of Representatives' (COR)
initial administrative session a few days later was tactical:
Al Wifaq knew it would not be able to win an election for
COR speaker, so it did not participate. Thus the group
avoided a public defeat.


3. (C) Al Arayedh emphasized that the GOB wants Al Wifaq to
participate fully in the political system and to cooperate on
solving policy problems. The government may have a tough
time dealing with the COR, but this is a good thing, he said,
and "is the (democratic) path we have chosen." The
government should be accountable to parliament. In response
to the Ambassador's question, Al Arayedh said the Sunni and
Shia parliamentary blocs can work together, but "with some
shyness." He admitted there is sectarian friction in
society, and said Sunni Islamist parliamentary blocs Al Asala
(Salafi) and Al Minbar (Muslim Brotherhood) try to hide their
sectarianism, but it is there. He said that Iran plays games
inside Bahrain when it wants to and, unfortunately, "many
Bahrainis are willing to cooperate with the devil (Iran)."
He claimed that the Qatari government gives money to Al Wifaq
and other oppositionists. "We are good friends with Qatar on
the face of things, but facts are facts."


4. (C) Al Arayedh said that Al Wifaq Secretary General
Shaikh Ali Salman is very good and politically savvy, but
complained that senior Shia cleric and Al Wifaq spiritual
leader Shaikh Isa Qassem is "unbelievably stubborn."
Although Qassem does not have much political influence over
Salman, he does have great influence within the Shia
community. Al Arayedh said a long-term challenge was dealing
with Shias' belief that they are oppressed. He thought that
Al Wifaq would "not be allowed to fail" in pursuing its
legislative agenda. He admitted there would be fights, but
if democracy can succeed in Bahrain, a heterogeneous country,
it could serve as a good example for the rest of the region.

--------------
Progress on Democratization
--------------


5. (C) Regarding democratic reform, Al Arayedh urged that

MANAMA 00000013 002 OF 002


Bahrain not be looked at in isolation from the rest of the
Gulf. Bahrain has accomplished a lot in comparison with the
other Gulf countries even though short-term progress may not
be steady. Transition takes time, he said. Not all Al
Khalifas are happy with the King's reform program because
they have lost power and prestige. He said there is a new
school and an old school in the ruling family and government.
Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, he
said, is forward looking, as are King Hamad and Crown Prince
Salman, but there are some in the palace who have no
experience in governing or in the give-and-take of politics.
They are only familiar with issuing orders and decrees.

--------------
Further Legal Reform
--------------


6. (C) Al Arayedh said that he has the legal affairs
portfolio among the three deputy prime ministers. (Note:
The others are Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, the
former long-serving foreign minister, and Shaikh Ali bin
Khalifa Al Khalifa, transportation minister and the PM's
son.) He wants to lead an effort to revise and update
Bahrain's laws and legal framework, drawing on the U.S. and
UK as models, not Egypt, as Bahrain currently does.
"Egyptian laws," he said, "are dragging us down." He praised
new Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin
Ali Al Khalifa for reviving the Ministry's training and
modernization programs. Referring positively to the work the
MEPI-funded American Bar Association rule of law project does
at the Ministry, Al Arayedh asked if ABA consultants could
work with the Cabinet's legal committee. The Ambassador
urged that the Cabinet act expeditiously on pending
Trafficking-in-Persons legislation. Al Arayedh said he would
look into the status of the draft law.


7. (C) The Ambassador asked about a recent half-day strike
by Bahraini lawyers, who were protesting the presence of
foreign legal offices in the country. Al Arayedh said that
since the 1970s, some Bahraini lawyers have not wanted
international lawyers to work in Bahrain because they fear
the foreigners will take their jobs away. But they cannot
stop international legal professionals from working in
Bahrain. Bahraini lawyers generally have low standards and
bad English. How can they do legal work for banks and other
international companies, he asked.


********************************************* ********
Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/
********************************************* ********
MONROE