VZCZCXRO8377
OO RUEHDE
DE RUEHKU #1642 1291336
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 091336Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4367
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KUWAIT 001642 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KU FREEDOM AGENDA
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA:  KUWAITIS RALLY ON CONSTITUENCY 
 
REFORM; INFORMATION MINISTER OFFERS RESIGNATION 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 1570 
     ¶B. KUWAIT 1529 
 
¶1.  (U)  Approximately 150 Kuwaitis staged a rally on May 5 
in support of electoral constituency reform (ref b).  Wearing 
orange and white, carrying signs that read "five for the sake 
of Kuwait," and exchanging "high five's," they protested for 
over two hours across the street from Seif Palace where the 
Council of Ministers was meeting on electoral district 
reform.  The impromptu gathering, organized by SMS at a cost 
of 60,000 KD ($205,480) according to one GOK source, brought 
together liberals, women's rights activists, college 
students, a few MPs, and a handful of Islamists.  It was also 
a family affair:  many protesters had infants and small 
children with them, all appropriately clad in orange. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Despite the small turnout, the protest is a 
positive, yet small step forward for democratic reform in 
Kuwait where rallies are rare.  There was no opposition to 
the rally and the few police officers present seemed bored by 
the crowd and focused on traffic control and breaking up a 
scuffle between photographers.  Organizers of the May 5 event 
clearly followed the example set by 2005 activists in support 
of women's political rights:  selecting a theme color, using 
SMS and the internet (), and timing 
their demonstration with the Seif Palace arrival of the 
Cabinet.  Nevertheless, protesters blame the small showing on 
tensions between liberal groups.  They claim smaller student 
organizers approached experienced activists on how to 
organize the demonstrations.  In return for assistance, the 
larger groups insisted on receiving full credit for the 
protest, prompting a greater rift among like-minded groups. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  The protest had little impact on the Council of 
Ministers which appears to be giving more attention to 
reducing the 25 constituencies to ten and amending the 
constitution to increase the number of parliamentarians to 
¶60.  On May 8, Information Minister Dr. Anas Al-Reshaid, who 
serves on the ministerial committee studying electoral 
constituency reform, offered his resignation in protest of 
the proposed constitutional amendment.  One of his staff 
members told PolChief, that while the Minister favors five 
constituencies, serious discussion of a constitutional 
amendment forced him "to take a stand."  He shares many 
liberal concerns that opening the constitution for this issue 
will lead to additional and undesired amendments such as 
changing Article 2 to make Shari'a "the main source of 
legislation" instead of "a main source."  She said Dr. Anas 
was also frustrated that constituency reform was being used 
as a pawn by both the Government and Islamist groups.  Prime 
Minister Shaykh Nasser Mohammed has yet to accept 
Al-Reshaid's resignation and, according to Al-Reshaid's 
staff, is not expected to do so. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Debate continues on the contentious issue and 
several liberal MPs continue to host diwaniyas (discussion 
salons) on the importance of immediate reform.  There are 
also reports that Kuwait's first female minister, Dr. Masouma 
Al-Mubarak, Minister of Planning and Minister of State for 
Administrative Development Affairs, is expected to submit her 
resignation the evening of May 9 if the Government pursues 
plans to amend the constitution. 
 
********************************************* * 
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/ 
********************************************* * 
LEBARON