UPDATED DEMOCRATIC REFORM STRATEGY FOR OMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MUSCAT 000949

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2017
TAGS: KDEM KMPI KWMN PGOV PREL MU
SUBJECT: UPDATED DEMOCRATIC REFORM STRATEGY FOR OMAN

REF: A. STATE 130991


B. MUSCAT 720

C. 05 STATE 152818

D. 05 MUSCAT 792

Classified By: CDA Alfred F. Fonteneau for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)

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BACKGROUND
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1. (C) As reported ref B, Oman represents a challenging
environment for U.S. efforts to directly promote democracy.
Civil society is under-developed and the registration of new
non-governmental organizations and associations (which are
limited in their areas of activity) can literally take years.
The press is constrained by pervasive self-censorship and
unwritten government redlines. Many Omanis view the directly
elected Majlis al-Shura (the lower house of Oman's bicameral
advisory body) as largely ineffective, but yet are apathetic
about trying to change the political status quo.


2. (C) There are, however, some encouraging signs. The
Sultan and other senior officials appear committed to
increasing citizen participation in government and
strengthening civil institutions, albeit very gradually and
in a way that preserves the country's cohesion and stability.
Recently legalized labor unions are beginning to hold
workplace elections. A few civil society organizations are
more actively engaging both the public and government, while
some press outlets are cautiously testing the boundaries of
permissible criticism. The upcoming elections for the Majlis
al-Shura will be the most transparent, publicized and
well-organized on record (although no independent monitoring
will be allowed). In this environment, post has identified
three focus areas, with corresponding benchmarks and
programming information, in its efforts to promote the
President's Freedom Agenda as detailed below.

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FOCUS AREA 1: CIVIL SOCIETY - LABOR UNIONS
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3. (C) Post firmly believes that newly legalized labor
unions represent Oman's best chance, for the foreseeable
future, for the development of truly independent and active
civil society organizations. As part of its commitments
under the U.S-Oman Free Trade Agreement (FTA),the Omani
government adopted unprecedented labor reforms in 2006
allowing workers to organize, meet, and choose their own
leaders outside the controls placed on other types of
non-governmental organizations. Elections will help keep
union leaders directly accountable to their members,
providing a powerful example of grassroots democracy at work.
In addition, unions present women with new opportunities for
leadership.


4. (C) According to recent information from the Ministry of
Manpower (MOM),there are 18 licensed unions in Oman with a
least ten other worker organizations in various stages of the
union licensing process. These groups are now beginning to
hold or plan for workplace elections to choose their
leadership. For many Omani and expatriate union members,
this represents their first direct experience with democracy.
Union organizers report, however, that they lack the
experience and knowledge necessary to conduct elections and
are developing ad hoc procedures as they go along.
Developing the capacity of unions to hold elections, and to
advocate for their members' interests with employers and the
government, provides the USG with an excellent opportunity to
advance civil society and participatory democracy in Oman.



5. (C) Desired Outcomes and Benchmarks: By December 2007,
workers establish unions in 10 additional companies and hold
elections for union leadership. By December 2008, workers
establish another ten unions and hold elections. Existing
unions organize workers within sectors and prepare to conduct
elections for sectoral representation to create federations.
More than 60 union representatives receive training to
strengthen union organization, promote elections and develop
advocacy skills. Unions and management sign collective
bargaining agreements while women occupy union leadership
positions.


6. (C) Policy and Programming: The Ambassador has
prioritized capacity-building and other support for unions in
advancing democracy in Oman. Post will utilize public
diplomacy programming, including the International Visitor
Program, to advance this priority while it engages with
government officials to help ensure non-interference with
union activities. The Middle East Partnership Initiative
(MEPI) has provided the Solidarity Center with almost USD

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500,000 through the end of 2008 to support union growth and
development. Additional program funding could be used to
expand Solidarity Center's scope of work to include training
and activities on elections and broader outreach skills for
engagement with the public and government. Post will remain
alert for opportunities to provide small grants to unions for
conducting specific democracy-related projects.

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FOCUS AREA 2: A REPRESENTATIVE PARLIAMENT
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7. (C) The Majlis Oman, Oman's bicameral advisory body,
presently consists of an appointed upper house (the Majlis
al-Dowla) and a directly elected lower house (the Majlis
al-Shura); members of both houses serve four year terms.
Since its creation in 1992 from similar predecessor bodies,
the Majlis al-Shura has become increasingly democratic as the
government expanded suffrage and reduced its influence over
candidate registration in each successive election. Suffrage
is now universal and the government has conducted an
aggressive effort to promote participation in the elections
scheduled for October 27, 2007. The loosening of campaign
restrictions, the creation of electronic websites to make the
election process more transparent, a marked increase in
registered voters, and the welcoming of foreign media for
election day coverage promise to make this election Oman's
most open and competitive on record.


8. (C) While elections to the Majlis al-Shura have become
more broad-based and democratic, the body itself still lacks
the power of a real legislative body. While the Majlis
al-Shura can review draft laws and budgets, as well as call
government officials -- including ministers -- for
questioning, it cannot propose or veto legislation. Many
Omanis are apathetic about the Majlis al-Shura and see it as
ineffective. Part of this perception is based on the fact
that some of the Majlis' activities, such as the mark-up of
draft legislation, is not publicized and thus unknown to the
public. According to contacts, the poor public image is also
attributable to a lack of skills and knowledge among Majlis
members.


9. (C) The International Republican Institute (IRI) has been
conducting technical training for staff members of the Majlis
Oman (and now primarily in the Majlis al-Shura) since 2000.
Yet despite repeated attempts, IRI has had very little
success in engaging directly with elected members of the
Majlis al-Shura. Just recently, however, the IRI advisor in
Muscat (resident in Oman since late 2006) informed poloff
that the Majlis al-Shura has approved an IRI training plan
that calls for it -- along with British counterparts -- to
provide an orientation course and training directly to
members elected in the October 2007 elections. Post is
hopeful that this progress will mark a new chapter in USG
efforts to strengthen Oman's proto-legislature, including
improvements in constituent relations and responsiveness to
public concerns. Moreover, an increasingly effective Majlis
will likely be an important factor in any decision by Sultan
Qaboos to endow the Majlis with new legislative powers.


10. (C) Desired Outcomes and Benchmarks: Majlis al-Shura
elections on October 27, 2007 are conducted transparently and
are deemed free and fair by informal observers. IRI holds an
orientation and training course for elected Majlis members in
December 2007. Two other training sessions for members are
conducted in 2008. Coverage of Majlis activities in the
press increases in 2008 compared to previous years. On-line
commentaries on the Majlis in Internet fora show an
improvement in the public perception of the Majlis.


11. (C) Policy and Programming: Post will use appropriate
opportunities to encourage high-level Omani officials to
consider the expansion of the Majlis' legislative
responsibilities. Embassy officers will concurrently attempt
to meet with selected members and staff to track and report
on the development of the Majlis al-Shura. MEPI funding for
the continued operation of the IRI program is essential.
Money should be made available for IRI to expand its training
and activities in response to opportunities arising from new
access to Majlis members. Post will work with IRI to look
into creating interactions between the Majlis and U.S.
legislators.

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FOCUS AREA 3: WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNANCE
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12. (C) Women in Oman are present in government at all
levels. There are three female ministers, nine women in the
appointed Majlis al-Dowla and two women in the elected Majlis
al-Shura. (Note: Oman's ambassador in Washington was the
first female Arab ambassador to the U.S. End Note.) Many of

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post's most effective official contacts at the working level
are women. Omani Women enjoy equal political rights and
outnumber men in university enrollment (despite having to
meet more stringent admission requirements than their male
counterparts, the absence of which would substantially reduce
the number of men admitted). The government has recently
conducted a concerted campaign to encourage Omani women to
cast votes in the October 27 national elections.
Nevertheless, Omani women are underrepresented in government,
business, and most sectors of society, and many lack
awareness of their legal rights and the opportunities
available to them. To help promote women's interests, there
are currently almost 50 chapters of the Oman Women's
Association (OWA) -- which are loosely affiliated with the
government -- across the country with varying levels of
activity. Some OWA chapters are dynamic and provide skills
training for local women and other valuable services. One
chapter in metropolitan Muscat recently pushed the envelope
by offering a seminar for women on the upcoming elections.


13. (C) Post has formed very solid relations with a number
of OWA chapters through prior MEPI and public diplomacy
programs. Our partnership with the OWA in the highly
successful MEPI-funded Women in Technology program is an
example of this successful cooperation. We view the OWA as
the best available vehicle for empowering women and
increasing their participation in the governance process
through advocacy and other activities. In 2005, post
developed the Women's Empowerment and Voter Education (WEAVE)
project at the specific request of the Ministry of Social
Development. For reasons that are still unclear, however,
this project was not approved by the Council of Ministers in

2006. (Comment: An emphasis on voter education and possible
campaign training for women was likely a major cause of
concern; the Omani government has made clear that it desires
no direct outside involvement in the election process, which
it considers to be a purely internal matter. End Comment.)
Nevertheless, the Omani government has indicated that it is
open to a revised women's program that would seek to
strengthen the OWA and help promote women's issues in the
country.


14. (C) Desire Outcomes and Benchmarks: Post and government
agree on parameters of a new MEPI-funded women's program by
end of 2007. An implementor is chosen and program activities
begin in 2008. Selected OWA chapters increase training and
seminars on women's legal rights and the political process.
OWA leaders reach out to representatives in the Majlis
al-Shura and to government officials to advocate for women's
issues.


15. (C) Policy and Programming: Post will continue to
engage vigorously with women leaders in government, business
and civil society. Public diplomacy programming -- including
exchange visits, study opportunities, speaker/specialist
programs, and skills training -- will continue to promote
women's participation in all aspects of Omani society.
(Note: With limited exceptions, women now make up at least
50% of post nominees for all public diplomacy exchange
programs. End Note.) The retention and possible expansion
of MEPI funding earlier allocated for the WEAVE project is
essential to implement a revised women's program to
strengthen the capacity of the OWA and to organize activities
designed to increase women's role in civic life. A new
program will also explore the possibility of placing an
advocate for women's issues within the Ministry of Social
Development. Post will remain vigilant for opportunities to
provide small grants to women leaders and OWA chapters to
conduct specific democracy-related projects.
FONTENEAU