VZCZCXRO9936
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHKU #2301 1661300
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151300Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5182
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA// IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS KUWAIT 002301 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, 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 KU SUFFRAGE
 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - ELECTIONS: WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION 
AND THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION 
 
 
Block Quotes 
------------ 
 
Thursday, June 15, 2006 
 
-- Editor-in-chief of the pro-government Arabic-language daily 
Al-Seyassah Ahmed Al-Jarallah penned on the newspaper's front page 
under the title "Talk of Night Erased by Elections' Morning" (6/15): 
"What is being said now during the elections season should be 
contained by not reacting to it, no matter what the candidates 
claim. It should be heard without leaving room for our emotions to 
mislead us and should not be believed because it is the talk of 
night, which will be erased by the morning light of Election Day. 
The declaration of the results and who won and who lost will make it 
evaporate. Kuwaiti voters will listen to who they want, but in the 
end will vote for who they want, not who fooled them with their 
speeches." 
 
-- Mansour Al-Saeedi commented in the pro-government Arabic-language 
daily Al-Seyassah under the title "Women's Rights and the Elections" 
(6/15): "All women are optimistic that they will win and are all 
betting on the results; despite the fact that a realistic outlook 
says that their chances of success are weak, very weak. All the 
women candidates expect a victory for women in these elections and 
expect that women will support them with their votes. Also, all of 
them with exception are for the best women getting into parliament. 
But, women's participation on a national level is very weak. The 
percentage of Kuwait women who are running for office is about 2% 
which is very low and is not representative of the number of women 
in Kuwaiti society." 
 
-- Thabet Ibrahim Al-Haroun editorialized in the moderate 
Arabic-language daily Al-Rai Al-Aam under the title "Women" (6/15): 
"I highly doubt the rumors about women selling their votes and I 
consider it a desperate attempt to get at the pioneering experience 
of women's rights in Kuwait and to kill their aspirations and their 
great role in shaping a comprehensive social fabric.  I hope their 
presence at seminars will translate into presence at the ballot 
boxes. Some men consider these elections redundant and that is a 
challenge to them.  So, which will prevail, men's desperation or 
women's patience?" 
 
-- Khawla Al-Atiqi wrote in the moderate Arabic-language daily 
Al-Watan under the title "Elections" (6/15): "I have noticed during 
my attendance at electoral headquarters women's enthusiasm to attend 
and hear what candidates have to say about their platforms and what 
they will do for women if they win. Most of the women I spoke to, 
assuming that they are sympathizers or relatives of the candidate, 
were not naive enough to reinforce my assumptions.  Most of them 
when asked, even the older ones, answered that they will hear what 
they have to say first, and then decide who to vote for.  I must say 
I fear for the candidates I work with as I thought that familial, 
tribal, or ideological affiliation would be the deciding factor." 
 
-- Liberal writer Mr. Abdul Latif Al-Duaij maintained in the 
progressive Arabic-language daily Al-Qabas under the title "The 
Government Enraged" (6/15): "The government lost its mind a long 
time ago. It lost its mind when it came under the leadership of the 
corrupt and those hostile and demeaning to God's creatures. It lost 
its mind when it insisted on continuing to deny human rights and to 
combat attempts at reform.  Today, or more specifically yesterday, 
it lost its nerve.  That means that the country will not enter into 
a dark tunnel as is usually said, rather, it will enter a powerful 
vortex that may sadly destroy everything.  The decision to prevent 
candidates' media activities is tyrannical.  A decision meant to 
monopolize the media and provide coverage for those who cooperate 
with the government.  The [newly] established satellite channels 
transmit from outside of Kuwait, therefore the Kuwaiti government 
should not have jurisdiction over them or their programs." 
 
********************************************* * 
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/ 
********************************************* * 
 
TUELLER