OMAN FOLLOW-UP: APPRARENT SUPPORT FOR CANDIDACY OF LUCRETIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000977 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/10/25 TAGS: AORC PREL APER UNGA KUNR MU SUBJECT: OMAN FOLLOW-UP: APPRARENT SUPPORT FOR CANDIDACY OF LUCRETIA ¶F. MYERS REF: A) STATE 109341; B) MUSCAT 753; C) MUSCAT 895 CLASSIFIED BY: Richard J. Schmierer, AMB, Department of State, Embassy Muscat; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C) EconOff met on October 25, with Ahmed Al Kathiry, Deputy Chief of American Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding Ms. Myer's candidacy for re-election to the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC). The meeting with Al Kathiry is subsequent to Posts' demarche to the Chief of the American Affairs department (Ref b),Ambassador Muhammad Al Khusaibi, wherein Al Khusaibi was noncommittal as to Oman's position on the election and a demarche (Ref c) by POLE Chief to Al Kathiry wherein Al Kathiry stated that he could not divulge any information on the matter. ¶2. (C) Al Kathiry now stated that no formal recommendation had been made to Oman's UN delegation regarding the ICSC candidates but that the matter was "leaning your [the U.S.'s] way." Al Kathiry elaborated that the Omani delegation votes based on "the country involved and not the [particular] candidate," but said that he would emphasize to the MFA personnel tasked with directing the delegation's vote that it is important that Ms. Myers retain her seat as she is one of two women serving on the 15-member Commission. This was a heavily emphasized point during EconOff's discussion as recent media attention has been paid to Women's Empowerment in Oman. Schmierer