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Viewing cable 06KUWAIT2442, ELECTION COUNTDOWN: KUWAIT MEDIA ELECTION COVERAGE JUNE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06KUWAIT2442 2006-06-21 12:54 2011-08-30 01:44 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Kuwait
VZCZCXRO6125
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHKU #2442/01 1721254
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211254Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5332
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA// PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 002442 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, NEA/P, NEA/PI, INR/NESA, R/MR, 
I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN 
LONDON FOR TSOU 
PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO KDEM PGOV KMPI KU FREEDOM AGENDA
SUBJECT: ELECTION COUNTDOWN: KUWAIT MEDIA ELECTION COVERAGE JUNE 
15-21: GOVERNMENT MINISTER ACCUSED OF CENSORHSIP 
 
REF: KUWAIT 2300 
 
1.  (U)  Summary and comment: Government censorship and the fight 
against corruption stole the headlines as media coverage of the June 
29 elections hits its stride.  The Information Minister was the 
object of sharp criticism in the press from candidates and among the 
public over his role in blocking the airing of private satellite 
channels covering elections.  This was a rare instance of the Kuwait 
media investigating an issue, reporting on it and galvanizing public 
opinion.  The Minister denied the charges, but the media continues 
to align against him.  Some press leaders say they will not support 
the Minister's inclusion in the new post-election government. 
Candidates too are jumping on the bandwagon condemning Government 
interference with press freedom.  Of the election issues that the 
media has focused on most -- women, redistricting and corruption -- 
the fight against corruption pulled away from the pack as the 
leading issue in the media this week. Public radio debuted a new 
election program, and MEPI completed a two-day seminar that helped 
25 Kuwaiti reporters improve their ability to report on elections. 
End summary and comment. 
 
Information Minister Accused of Censorship 
------------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (U)  Information Minister Mohammad Al-Sanousi was the object of 
sharp criticism this week in the media over his role in blocking the 
transmission of new satellite channels dedicated to election 
coverage in Kuwait.  The progressive Arabic-language daily Al-Qabas 
on June 15 printed scanned copies of letters signed by the Minister 
and addressed to the owners of Nilesat and Arabsat, two independent 
satellite operators located in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, respectively. 
 The letters, too small to read with the naked eye, allege to 
request on the part of the Minister that the companies stop 
transmitting the channels.  The "We Want It Alliance" satellite 
program, dedicated to reformist views, was effectively blocked by 
Arabsat last week (reftel).  However, it made its debut on June 12 
when it purchased airtime on Hot Bird satellite channel, which is 
transmitted from Germany.  It has since been airing footage of 
campaign speeches and diwaniyas of liberal candidates. 
 
Reformers Vilify the Minister 
----------------------------- 
 
3.  (U)  A groundswell of opposition grew against the Minister's 
actions culminating in a sit-in protest on June 14 at the 
headquarters of the liberal National Democratic Alliance (NDA).  NDA 
backs the "We Want It Alliance" satellite channel.  Some 200 of its 
supporters took part in the sit-in and heard remarks from reformist 
candidates who condemned the jamming of satellite stations.  Former 
MP Ahmed Al-Saadoun accused "corrupt people" of transforming Kuwait 
into a police state.  He went on to accuse the Minister of 
Information of not supporting democracy by working against the NDA. 
"This will be the end of Al-Sanousi," he remarked.  Also speaking at 
the sit-in was former MP and current candidate Mohammed Jassem 
Al-Sager who questioned what kind of "danger" the Minister feared 
from the broadcast of the election satellite channels.  "Preventing 
citizens from voicing their opinions through our local channels will 
pose more security risks," he said. 
 
Minister Fights Back on Public TV 
------------------------------------- 
 
4.  (U)  The Minister struck back against the criticism in a June 18 
interview broadcast on the public TV station KTV1.  In the 
prerecorded talk, a defensive Al-Sanousi affirmed Kuwait's support 
for media freedom, but insisted that the decision to ban the "We 
Want It Alliance" channel was made by the satellite operator Arabsat 
and not the Ministry. However, he acknowledged "contacts" between 
the Ministry and Arabsat that showed that the channel failed to meet 
conditions for broadcast set by Arabsat itself.  Al-Sanousi noted 
that the owners of the channel were not even Kuwaiti, but 
Palestinian and Jordanian.  He then stressed that media outlets must 
operate within regulations and cannot go "out of the ordinary."  To 
do otherwise, he said, threatens the national interest and the 
stability of Kuwait for the sake of "sensationalism."  (Note: legal 
experts point out that there are no current regulations on the books 
for the operation of satellite channels.) 
 
Press Not Backing Down 
---------------------- 
 
5.  (U)  Embassy contacts in the print media readily dismissed the 
Minister's claims.  A long-standing reporter who contributed to the 
Al-Qabas story believes that Al-Sanousi is trying to impress the 
Government by attempting to be seen as in control of the new 
 
KUWAIT 00002442  002 OF 003 
 
 
channels, some of which broadcast reformist and liberal positions. 
A leader of the Kuwait Journalists Association said that there is 
growing consensus among some editors-in-chief on insisting that 
Al-Sanousi not be part of any new Government formed after the June 
29 elections.  Members of the media privately comment that the 
Government fears the unregulated nature of satellite transmissions, 
which can broadcast any content at any time. 
 
Press Coverage Galvanizes Candidates and the Public 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
6.  (U)  Criticism of the Minister's actions spilled over this week 
into the campaign tents, the opinion columns and the Internet. 
Candidate Saleh Ashour denounced the Minister's actions, referring 
to him as a "dictator" whose "eighteenth-century mentality" in 
stopping satellite transmissions is a disgrace.  He went on to warn 
the Minister that he will be held accountable.  The press ran 
several opinion pieces that were critical of the Minister.  Even a 
sympathetic commentator writing in Al-Watan suggested that the 
Minister might have "rushed" into taking the decision to block the 
channels.  Blogs were full of criticism as well.  A cartoon posted 
on the site  summed up the angry 
sentiment expressed by the general public.  It depicted a family 
seated on a couch in front of their TV set.  They react with 
puzzlement to the black TV screen that reads "no signal."  Standing 
behind the set and cutting the cable with a scissor is a depiction a 
sinister-looking Al-Sanousi. 
 
7. (SBU)  Comment: In office less than two months, the new Minister 
of Information has surprised many of his colleagues in the media who 
initially held him in high esteem.  Many now point to his 
inconsistency on press freedoms -- streamlining the public media and 
encouraging private broadcasting entities while at the same time 
blocking satellite channels.  Ill will is building against him, 
particularly in the print media.  It is likely that several leaders 
of that sector will work to thwart his inclusion in the new 
post-election Government. 
 
8.  (U)  The print media's lead in investigating, reporting and 
commenting on the Minister's actions is a rare example of in-depth 
reporting on the part of the Kuwait media.  Certainly the issue, 
press freedom, is close to its interests and spurred the story. 
Even rarer are similar pieces on issues closer to the interests of 
the average Kuwaiti.  Nonetheless, the example demonstrates that 
under the right circumstances, the Kuwait media has the capacity to 
expose issues and galvanize public opinion. End comment. 
 
Media Focuses on Corruption 
--------------------------- 
 
9.  (U)  Of the three election issues that the media has focused on 
the most -- women, redistricting and corruption -- the fight against 
corruption pulled away from the pack as the as the leading topic of 
election coverage.  "Corruption Forces in 'Do or Die' War," on the 
front page of the June 17 Kuwait Times (English language) daily, and 
"Elections Transparency Committee: Al-Melaifi Will Present Evidence 
on Vote-Buying and Electoral Violations," page. 8 of Al-Rai-Al-Aam, 
June 19, demonstrate the focus.  On inside election pages, all the 
Arab-language dailies reported heavily on candidate's pronouncements 
on corruption and the fight against it.  The print media followed 
closely those candidates who signed financial accountability pledges 
for themselves and who announced support for a law that would 
require MPs to disclose the sources of their income.  The effort is 
receiving support from a grassroots group "Youth Against 
Corruption," who posted information on the campaign on its blogspot 
at .  Other local issues, including a 
water shortage, education reform and debt relief to Kuwaitis 
received increased coverage. 
 
Public Radio 
------------ 
 
10.  (U)  Kuwait public radio began on June 20 airing a one-hour 
election program entitled "The Nation 2006." 
The program features no candidates, presenting instead interviews 
with commentators and other leaders.  The producer of the show 
stressed to Emboff that, in keeping with the Minister of 
Information's instructions that public media be neutral in its 
election reporting, "controversial subjects" will be avoided. 
 
Press Polls Voter Turnout 
------------------------- 
 
11.  (U)  Al-Qabas Arabic-language daily printed the results of its 
public opinion poll on voter turnout, which surveyed 1,000 people. 
 
KUWAIT 00002442  003 OF 003 
 
 
Eighty percent said they will take part in elections, 13 percent are 
undecided, and 7 percent will not take part.  Seventy-nine percent 
of women said they intend to vote as do 85 percent of youth. 
 
Reporters Express Challenges of Covering Elections 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
12. (U)  The University of Missouri, under a Post-approved MEPI 
small grant, concluded on June 20 a two-day seminar to improve the 
skills of Kuwaiti journalists covering elections.  Coordinated by 
the Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) in conjunction with Embassy 
Public Affairs, it was attended by 25 reporters from all of the 
Arabic- and English-language dailies as well as the public news 
service KUNA.  The seminar focused on identifying obstacles faced by 
journalists in elections.  Reporters cited the bias of their 
employers, their own personal biases and gaining access to reliable 
information.  Also addressed were how to deal with rumors, how to 
interview candidates and planning for election day.  The 
participants told Emboff how useful the seminar was and how it 
renewed their inspiration.  The participants were active in asking 
questions, volunteering to lead small-group discussion and crafting 
a code of ethics for election coverage that the group plans to 
present to the KJA. 
 
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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/ 
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TUELLER