KUWAITI ELECTION ISSUES ENTER THE BLOG-O-SPHERE - FINAL

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000490 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP (JSAWYER),NEA/PPD (ASOMERSET, DBENZE), NEA/PI, R E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO KDEM SOCI KU SUBJECT: KUWAITI ELECTION ISSUES ENTER THE BLOG-O-SPHERE - FINAL UPDATE REF: KUWAIT 0358 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. Summary and Comment. This report is the third and last cable addressing the vibrant participation from the Kuwaiti blog-o-sphere in the hubbub surrounding parliamentary elections, scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2009. Additional meetings with bloggers and regular monitoring of their blogs revealed that Kuwaiti bloggers' expectations of their ability to influence the Kuwaiti voters are still low. In discussions, bloggers voiced resignation to the same "old faces" winning seats in Parliament. Bloggers' analysis of Kuwait's opaque and ever-changing political situation indicated a chance for former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohamad to resume his position. What the bloggers and most Kuwaitis see as political gridlock, however, is expected to remain, with Kuwaiti blogs predicting another dissolution of Parliament in Kuwait's future. End Summary and Comment. -------------- -- End Game for Candidates' and Bloggers Campaigns -------------- -- ¶2. In the final stage of their "Change for Kuwait" issue-based campaign, launched through the Arabic language website "For Kuwait" (http://www.for-q8.com),bloggers launched a series of YouTube videos. Through these videos they sought to raise voter awareness on three subjects: standards of candidate selection, repercussions of fanaticism and the dangers of negativity. -------------- Low Expectations Post-May 16 -------------- ¶3. In conversations with Post's Information Assistant on May 13, a group of Kuwaiti bloggers seemed resigned to politics as usual in Kuwait, with the same players winning election to the Parliament and the former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohamad returned to office. As a result, the bloggers' expectations for the new Parliament are low. They predicted another dissolution in Kuwait's near future. -------------- Thinking Long-term -------------- ¶4. The bloggers' pessimism about this election and their ability to reach voters, change their attitudes, and have an effect on the results has not deterred them from future plans. The bloggers are decisive about running a long-term campaign to involve both the Kuwaiti community and the Parliament in the fight against corruption and support for political reform. In addition to raising the voters' political awareness in terms of holding elected officials to their campaign promises, bloggers plan to suggest to the new Members of Parliament initiatives to engage the public and benefit the community. ********************************************* * 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/ ********************************************* * JONES