IT'S (STILL) A MAN'S WORLD: WOMEN CANDIDATES IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000270 FOR NEA/ARP AMACDONALD E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL YM SUBJECT: IT'S (STILL) A MAN'S WORLD: WOMEN CANDIDATES IN THE APRIL ELECTIONS Classified By: Ambassador Stephen Seche for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. With the electoral clock ticking and the parties locked in a political stalemate, the possibility of reaching an effective compromise on a quota for female candidates appears increasingly unlikely. Despite proposals from each side, insiders remain skeptical that the new Parliament will have more than a token handful of women MPs. While a last-minute political compromise may "save" the elections (septel),it is certain to impair women's political advancement in Yemen. END SUMMARY. "WOMEN, DON'T BASE YOUR HOPES ON SOCIETY" -------------- ¶2. (C) According to Minister of Human Rights Huda al-Ban, Yemeni society is not ready for female politicians, and the only way to ensure female representation in Parliament is through appointments. On February 10, al-Ban proposed adding 21 seats designated for women ) one for each governorate ) to the existing 301 seats in Parliament. Professor Abdullah al-Faqih reflected al-Ban's position in a February 7 conference on women's political participation in Aden, when he said, "The only way women will ever be elected is through the quota system. Seventy percent of women are illiterate. They should learn how to read before they vote." (Note: Faqih made no mention of whether or not the approximately 30 perecent of Yemeni men who are illiterate should vote. End Note.) PARTY POLITICS -------------- ¶3. (C) Within the ruling General People's Congress (GPC), strong disagreements regarding women candidates exist. On January 31, Sultan al-Barakani, head of the GPC bloc in Parliament, and Mayor of Sana'a Abdulrahman al-Aqwa got into a heated debate regarding the wisdom of nominating female candidates, even in minimally competitive districts. Aqwa said that until the opposition agreed to nominate female candidates, the GPC would lose any districts in which women ran. Barakani expressed greater confidence in the GPC's ability to select successful female candidates, and told PolOff she could "call him a traitor" if at least 15% of the GPC's Parliamentary candidates were not women. Perhaps such debate spurred the fears of Fatma al-Khatar, a member of the GPC's General Council, who told PolOff on February 11 that although the GPC Women's Committee has already formulated a list of names of "strong" female candidates, she is afraid the party's male leaders will not accept them. ¶4. (C) The opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) is even more divided over the issue of female candidates. In a documentary film on women's political participation screened for a gathering of journalists and activists on February 9, Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) Secretary General Saeed Noman said, "Women must participate in politics without limits." Noman told PolOff on February 11 that the YSP would guarantee 30% female candidates, with the caveat that a proportional system be implemented in Yemen. (Note: The proportional list is an issue of major disagreement between the ruling and opposition parties, and most legal experts agree it would require a constitutional amendment to implement. End Note.) Conversely, the Islah party, which has separate offices for male and female party members, continues to serve as a stumbling block for female JMP candidates. In the 2006 local council elections, Islah stymied JMP efforts to nominate female candidates, forcing female Islahis to run as independents without success. In a February 11 conversation with PolOff, Dr. Mohammed Al-Sadi, the Assistant Secretary General of Islah and a moderate within the party, was reluctant to commit to any guarantees for nominating female candidates. COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (C) If elections take place as scheduled on April 27, both sides will scramble to nominate and train candidates by the March 17-April 5 nomination period. While a last-minute political deal might "save" the elections, the likelihood of a women's quota being first agreed upon and then successfully implemented with strong female candidates looks increasingly unlikely. Yemen's partisan infighting, unfortunately, will not serve the political advancement of its female citizens. END COMMENT. SECHE