VZCZCXRO3316
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHKU #2026/01 1511804
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 311804Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4848
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 002026 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2016 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA - KUWAIT ELECTION UPDATE: 24 WOMEN 
AMONG 244 REGISTERED CANDIDATES 
 
REF: KUWAIT 1915 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: DCM Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: A total of 244 candidates, including 24 
women, have registered so far for the June 29 parliamentary 
elections.  Kuwaiti women, participating in national 
elections for the first time in Kuwait's history, have 
responded with enthusiasm.  Women account for 194,910 of 
Kuwait's 340,248 voters, and in some districts outnumber male 
voters by a ratio of almost 2-to-1.  Despite the significant 
impact women will have in this election, or perhaps because 
of it, several female candidates have complained of receiving 
personal threats and being pressured to withdraw from the 
election, in most cases by family members.  Three members of 
the ruling Al-Sabah family have publicly stated their 
intention to run for election, provoking an intense debate 
over the legality and propriety of their unprecedented 
candidature, which may yet prove to be a form of family 
"greenmail".  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) As of May 31, 244 candidates, including 24 women, 
have registered for the June 29 parliamentary elections. 
Still more are expected to sign up before the ten-day 
registration period closes June 3.  Most of the fifty members 
of the dissolved Parliament are running for re-election, as 
are many new hopefuls whose political affiliations range from 
liberal to Shi'a to Islamist.  One by-product of the recent 
intense public debate over electoral reform has been to 
highlight the public's awareness of the issue, and many 
candidates are campaigning on a reform platform.  One 
Islamist candidate, Nasser Al-Duwaila, told approximately 300 
men attending his opening campaign rally, "Reform starts 
here." 
 
Early Political Mud-Slinging 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) In an early indicator that this will be an intensely 
competitive process, some mud-slinging has already started 
with allegations of electoral corruption, specifically 
"political money" being spent to support certain candidates. 
A May 31 article in the Arabic daily Al-Seyassah quoted one 
candidate as saying that "a company" had placed ads in his 
constituency offering Kuwaiti citizens the opportunity to buy 
stock in the company.  When they called, however, the 
"company" offered to pay voters between 500 to 1000 KD 
($1,700-$3,400) to vote for a particular candidate.  A number 
of editorialists have also criticized the Government for 
turning a blind eye to tribal primaries, which have been 
conducted openly despite being technically illegal.  The 
Arabic daily Al-Watan carried a front-page article May 30 
that gave the time, date, and location of several tribes' 
primaries and reported on which tribal candidates had been 
chosen so far. 
 
Kuwaiti Women: A Potent Political Force 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) There is palpable excitement among many Kuwaiti 
women about participating in a national election for the 
first time in the country's history.  Though few contacts 
expect a female candidate to win, they note that women will 
nonetheless play a significant role as voters.  Of the 24 
female candidates, several are well-known activists, 
including Dr. Rola Dashti, Aisha Al-Rashaid, Shaykha 
Al-Ghanim, and Fatima Al-Abdali.  There are also a number of 
newcomers, unknown to Post and local women's activists.  Of 
Kuwait's 340,248 eligible voters, 194,910 are women.  In 21 
out of the 25 constituencies, female voters outnumber male 
voters.  In constituencies that are home to a high number of 
military and police personnel, who are not eligible to vote 
in Kuwait, the female-to-male voter ratio is as high as 
2-to-1.  One challenge for both male and female candidates 
will be reaching voters of the opposite gender since many of 
Kuwait's traditional political venues, such as diwaniyas and 
public campaign headquarters, tend to be male-dominated.  One 
indication of women's political strength is the fact that 
several former Islamist MPs, most notably Dr. Nasser Al-Sane 
and Walid Al-Tabtabaei, are trying hard to explain their 
previous opposition to women's suffrage.  Al-Tabtabaei told 
Al-Watan his opposition to women's suffrage was based on a 
fatwa issued by the Ministry of Awqaf, but explained that he 
had changed his mind based on fatwas from other clerics in 
the Arab world. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Not everyone, though, is happy with women's 
political enfranchisement in Kuwait.  Several female 
 
KUWAIT 00002026  002 OF 002 
 
 
candidates have reportedly received threats, including one 
from a tribal area who withdrew her candidacy after receiving 
a "death threat."  Another female candidate withdrew under 
pressure from her brothers.  This highlights the dangers and 
challenges to female candidates, particularly those in tribal 
or "outlying" areas where conservative social values 
predominate, but also the determination of Kuwaiti women to 
capitalize on their political rights.  Nonetheless, a small 
number of women from conservative tribal areas have 
registered as candidates.  This is a notable development 
because of the powerful tribal norms that associate family 
honor and reputation with shielding women from the public 
gaze. 
 
Controversy over Al-Sabah Candidates 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶6.  (C) Three members of the ruling Al-Sabah family have 
publicly declared their intention to run for election 
(without yet registering), setting off a public debate over 
whether or not this is constitutional.  The prevailing belief 
among the public and most Al-Sabah is that ruling family 
members should not run for office or even vote, and should 
only be appointed to official positions.  According to Dr. 
Ibrahim Al-Humoud of Kuwait University's Faculty of Law, 
while Article 82 of Kuwait's constitution permits all Kuwaiti 
citizens to run for Parliament, the accompanying explanatory 
memorandum stipulates that "the only way for the ruling 
family members to be involved in ruling is by appointment as 
ministers."  He explained this was to ensure "the freedom of 
the elections" and to protect Al-Sabah members from 
"political defamation and smear campaigns."  Dr. Al-Humoud 
asked hypothetically what would happen if a ruling family 
member ran for Parliament, but was not elected.  He explained 
that this could be interpreted as a type of referendum on the 
Al-Sabah's leadership and damage the ruling family's 
prestige.  Dr. Al-Humoud added that other candidates would 
also be likely to accuse the ruling family of tampering with 
election results.  The Sabah family members behind this 
controversy are most likely deliberately provoking senior 
family members in the expectation that they will be offered 
political or financial incentives to withdraw. 
 
A Lively Campaign Environment 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) Despite the short notice, election campaigns are 
kicking into full gear.  Large campaign tents garnered with 
strings of lights are sprouting up in empty lots and campaign 
posters line major roads.  Candidates often compete to see 
who can throw the most elaborate campaign banquettes and a 
number of candidates are reportedly hoping to attract voters 
to their campaign tents by broadcasting World Cup soccer 
matches on large-screen televisions. 
 
********************************************* * 
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