VZCZCXRO0671
OO RUEHDE
DE RUEHMK #0766/01 1221220
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 021220Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4618
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT  PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000766 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR JASON BUNTIN AND AARON ROSENBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ETRD KIPR ETTC BA BILAT ECTRD
POL, REGION, OFFICIALS 
SUBJECT: COR PRESIDENT AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHAIRMAN DISCUSS 
LEGISLATION 
 
REF: MANAMA 549 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
. 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  (C) The Ambassador met separately with Council of 
Representatives (COR) President Al Dahrani and COR Foreign 
Affairs, Defense and National Security Committee Chairman 
Ahmed Behzad on April 23 and 24 respectively to discuss 
pending legislation of U.S. interest.  Both MPs expressed 
their confidence that FTA-related IPR amendments and separate 
anti-terrorism legislation would be passed during the current 
legislative session.  Behzad said that legislation covering 
public gatherings had been sent from committee to the full 
parliament.  Al Dahrani expressed his opposition to jail time 
for journalists, a contentious issue in the discussion of a 
new press law.  Al Dahrani doubted the government would send 
the 2007-2008 budget to the parliament for approval before 
the current session ends in June ahead of parliamentary 
elections.  He clarified earlier public remarks on including 
appointed members on municipal councils.  End Summary. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Hopes for July 1 FTA Implementation 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) During a meeting with the Ambassador April 23, 
Council of Representatives President Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al 
Dahrani expressed confidence that several pieces of 
legislation of interest to the USG will be passed by the end 
of the current legislative term, which is scheduled to run 
through mid-June.  The Ambassador stressed that legislation 
amending Bahrain's intellectual property rights (IPR) regime 
must be approved expeditiously in order to implement the FTA 
on July 1.  (Note: The COR received six IPR amendments as a 
package when, for the first time in Bahrain's four-year 
legislative history, fast-track authority was invoked.  The 
amendments cleared the COR and are now moving to the upper 
house Shura Council.  The amended copyright law and trademark 
treaty must still pass both councils.  End note.)  Al Dahrani 
included anti-money laundering legislation among those he 
anticipated that the COR would pass this legislative term. 
 
¶3.  (C) The following day, April 24, the Ambassador met with 
COR Foreign Affairs, Defense and National Security Committee 
Chairman Ahmed Ibrahim Behzad.  In addition to praising the 
passage of the IPR amendments, Behzad expressed concern that 
implementation of the FTA has been delayed.  The country's 
oil production is declining, so Bahrain needs to focus more 
on trade and investment opportunities, primarily for Gulf 
investors.  Once other Gulf countries have their own FTAs, 
the incentive to invest in Bahrain diminishes.  He said that 
Bahrain's continued success in democratic progress depends 
upon a strong and growing economy.  He noted that recent 
street disturbances both distract the King from moving 
forward on democracy and discourage investors from 
considering Bahrain. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
Optimism on Counterterrorism and Assembly Legislation 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶4.  (C) Both parliamentarians expressed similar optimism on 
the passage of anti-terrorism legislation, estimating that it 
would pass by the end of May.  When the Ambassador noted some 
controversy about the bill, Al Dahrani agreed there had been 
some "good dialogue" in the COR, and it was difficult to 
predict the final form of the legislation before 
parliamentary discussion was completed.  Behzad confirmed 
that the title of the legislation had been changed in 
committee to "Protection of Society Security Law" to focus on 
protecting the people rather than fighting terrorism.  He 
recognized that due to the law's controversy, the committee 
had to accommodate the concerns of some MPs, but he assured 
the Ambassador that the draft legislation criminalized 
conspiracy and planning, as well as committing terrorist 
acts, a hole in existing Bahraini law that needs to be 
plugged. 
 
¶5.  (C) Behzad said that another piece of legislation passed 
by his committee to the full parliament was a law on public 
gatherings.  Previous draft legislation had drawn criticism 
from Shia MPs and others in the community, so it was reviewed 
 
MANAMA 00000766  002 OF 002 
 
 
by the government, amended, and re-sent to the committee.  He 
said that the draft restricts gatherings from forming near 
commercial areas, hospitals, the airport, and roads leading 
to these areas.  Although the right to protest is important, 
this right cannot infringe on another's right to access to 
these protest-free zones.  The public needs to realize that 
one's freedom needs to be limited when it begins to affect 
another's freedom. 
 
--------- 
Press Law 
--------- 
 
¶6.  (C) When asked about the press law under discussion in 
the COR, Al Dahrani said that it is important to get the law 
passed this term.  (Note:  An area of contentious discussion 
on this legislation is jail time for journalists who 
criticize the King or Islam, among other proposed restricted 
topics, in their reporting.  End note.)  Al Dahrani said that 
the jailing of journalists is not an effective solution, but 
that fines should be levied to make editors more accountable. 
 Some reporters want to be heroes by writing sensational 
stories, but holding editors accountable will make reporting 
more responsible. 
 
------------------------------- 
Pushing Through a Future Budget 
------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C) The Ambassador asked Chairman Al Dahrani about rumors 
that the Cabinet would deliver the 2007-2008 draft budget to 
the parliament for consideration during the current session. 
Al Dahrani said that he had heard the rumors through the 
press like everyone else, but he doubted there would be 
enough time for that to happen.  (Note: The government may be 
thinking it will have difficulty getting the budget through a 
future, less friendly parliament, so it may attempt to get 
next year's budget approved before the end of the current 
legislative session.  End note.)  He recognized that many 
members of the current parliament were strong on finance and 
budgeting and that a future COR may not have that same level 
of expertise.  In the current COR, more than 25 percent of 
members have expertise in finance, enough to form two full 
Financial and Economic Committees, whereas the next COR will 
likely consist of more politically-minded members and may not 
have enough qualified members to fill even one Financial and 
Economic Committee. 
 
---------------------------- 
Future of Municipal Councils 
---------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (C) The Ambassador asked Al Dahrani about a proposal he 
made in a recent interview advocating that municipal councils 
include appointed members in addition to elected members. 
(Note:  Currently the five municipal councils are composed of 
10 elected members each.  End note.)  Al Dahrani acknowledged 
that elections were good, but that elections may not always 
bring the most qualified people into office.  Elections in 
Bahrain are influenced by tribal and other loyalties, so it 
may be beneficial to consider Kuwait's municipal council 
model that includes elected and appointed members.  The 
formation of Bahrain's municipal councils was conducted in 
haste; the councils may be too large for such a small 
country.  Al Dahrani admitted that the municipal council 
experience is still new in Bahrain and in the future the 
councils may become more effective in delivering services at 
the local level. 
 
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Iran 
----- 
 
¶9.  (C) Behzad expressed his concern over the growing 
diplomatic conflict with Iran.  "If Iran is attacked it will 
be dangerous, but if it is not attacked it will still be 
dangerous."  He also commented on the political motives of a 
few MPs who are vocal in their support for Bahraini detainees 
at Guantanamo, saying that their support is really a 
reelection campaign tactic.  Finally, Behzad said that four 
years of public service was enough and that he would not run 
for another term in the COR.  He is looking forward to 
returning to his business, which has been managed primarily 
by family members since he became an MP in 2002. 
 
MONROE