VZCZCXRO7767
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHKU #2448 1731816
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221816Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5344
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA// IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS KUWAIT 002448 
 
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 MEDIA REACTION
 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - ELECTIONS: ELECTORAL DISTRICTS, 
WOMEN IN THE PARLIAMENT, ORGANIZED WORK, HOW TO CHOOSE 
 
 
Block Quotes 
------------ 
 
Thursday, June 22, 2006 
 
-- Under the headline "Hallucinating General," columnist Mr. Nabeel 
Al-Fadhel wrote in conservative Arabic daily Al-Watan: "If many 
former MPs were re-elected in the upcoming formation of the national 
assembly, then this would be an indication that women's votes were 
useless and ineffective. In that case, the opinion of Islamists who 
were opposed to women's political participation, and who maintained 
that women should not play a role in politics would be right.  To 
those who are in favor of this opinion we say: 'we have faith in the 
wisdom and strong character of Kuwaiti women.  We are confident that 
their ability to make the right choice is far superior to that of 
Kuwaiti men.' We are expecting women's votes to make the faces of 
those who opposed her political freedom disappear from the national 
assembly.  Women will leave their fingerprint on this election. 
June 29 will be the decisive measure of who was right or who was 
wrong." 
 
-- Conservative Arabic daily Al-Qabas published an Op-Ed by Mr. 
Hamed Al-Hmoud, under the headline "Why do Kuwaitis want to reduce 
the number of electoral districts?"  Mr. Al-Hmoud opined, "The 
current division of electoral districts ought to be taught at 
universities on how to utilize democracy to fight democratic values. 
 Despite the fact that Kuwaitis in general enjoy a good life and 
have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, Kuwait 
still suffers from hidden ethnic and tribal loyalties that become 
vivid only during elections.  These tribal, clan, family, and ethnic 
divisions are re-enforced by the current political process.  The 
system has been set up to undermine any national or patriotic 
sentiments among people.  The aim of these divisions is to 
strengthen tribal, clan, or family loyalties in small communities, 
and weaken any collective feelings of a national identity.  As proof 
of this, we witnessed that 5 of the 25 districts have already 
decided on who is going to win seats in these districts; the 
decision has been reached even before Election Day." 
 
-- Dr. Wael Al-Hasawi, a Shiite political activist and a columnist 
in independent Arabic daily Al-Rai Al-Aam questioned how people 
should chose the right candidate on Election Day.  With the headline 
"Tell me whom to chose?!" Dr. Al-Hasawi concluded, "We believe that 
the ideal measure should be the candidate's religious commitment and 
ethical conduct.  These character norms will prevail on Election 
Day.  Many people these days are making claims that they are 
righteous individuals.  However, when making a choice we must take 
into consideration character measures and evaluate the candidate's 
behavior at home and work as well as how he or she treats people in 
addition to whether or not they were honest and refused to be 
involved in vote buying.  How committed are they to their religion?" 
 
 
-- In a commentary titled "The Beginning of Organized Work," that 
appeared in the moderate Arabic daily Al-Qabas Dr. Abdul Mohsen 
Yousef Jamal observed, "I see that political participation in Kuwait 
has begun to take the form of organized work.  This new development 
is evident in the slogans and colors....  This is the first time 
that Kuwait has witnessed young men and women carrying orange 
symbols and banners with pride, and going door to door in Kuwait's 
districts collecting votes for their candidates.  These candidates 
come from every walk of life.  They are Sunnis and Shiites, rural 
and urban.  This is a novel phenomenon in Kuwait that we should 
study and analyze." 
 
********************************************* * 
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