VZCZCXRO6087
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHKU #2601/01 1811243
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 301243Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5514
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA// PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 002601 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, NEA/P, 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 FREEDOM AGENDA
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA ELECTION DAY COVERAGE - JUNE 30 
 
REF: KUWAIT 2300 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary and comment:  International broadcast coverage of 
the June 29 Kuwait National Assembly elections ran the gamut from 
near full-time coverage on Al-Arabiya to a brief mention late in the 
evening on BBC World.  CNN, France 2, the New York Times and the 
Washington Post were among the major media that covered the 
elections on site or from afar. Kuwait public and private TV 
coverage was round-the-clock.  The disparity of the quality of 
reporting between the public KTV1 channel and the private Al-Rai TV 
was stark.  Kuwait TV presented polished but blandly rosy coverage 
of Election Day events.  By contrast, private Al-Rai TV reported on 
long lines, frustrated voters, and accusations of malfeasance at 
polling sites.  The disparate coverage highlights the inability of 
Kuwait public media to act as an effective public watchdog.  There 
also was a notable disparity in the amount of election coverage 
provided by the Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera satellite channels, with 
the latter only offering sporadic reports from Kuwait.  This 
disparity is a reflection of how Al-Jazeera views itself as a more 
broad-based international channel.  It could also be viewed as a 
manifestation of strained ties between the channel and Kuwait due to 
Kuwait's support for Operation Iraqi Freedom.  The extensive 
coverage provided by Al-Arabiya demonstrated the sharp interest in 
Gulf countries on women's participation in the Kuwaiti elections. 
On blog sites, Kuwaitis posted their sentiments about the historic 
nature of women voting for the first time.  They also used this 
media to present their own analysis and to call for a continuation 
of the fight for political reform in Kuwait after Election Day.  End 
summary and comment. 
 
Kuwait Enjoys the Media Spotlight 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) International broadcast coverage of the June 29 Kuwait 
National Assembly elections ran the gamut from near full-time 
coverage on Al-Arabiya to a brief mention late in the evening on BBC 
World.  Most international media covering the elections were from 
the Middle and Gulf region countries. However, CNN at the last 
minute dispatched a correspondent and several U.S. newspapers such 
as the Washington Post and the New York Times either used stringers 
or covered events from afar.  Local broadcast coverage was 
round-the-clock and Kuwaiti newspapers, waiting for final results to 
come in, issued late editions on the morning after elections.  The 
following is a round up of the major local and international 
entities that covered Election Day. 
 
Kuwait TV 
--------- 
 
¶3.  (U) The public television station Kuwait TV (KTV1) began its 
special expanded election coverage at 8:00 a.m. and continued 
broadcasting into the night as results were made available.  KTV1 
reporters monitored polling stations in each of the 25 electoral 
districts from which live reports were aired throughout the day. 
Early coverage focused on voter turnout with an emphasis on women. 
By mid-afternoon, the station was reporting voting participation 
rates for some districts from the opening of polls at 8:00 a.m. to 
noon. Women voters were interviewed live at all the polling 
stations, all of whom gave enthusiastic and positive assessments of 
the voting process and the meaning of the day.  Most comments 
acknowledged the historic achievement of women voting for the first 
time. Most women also expressed delight in being able to 
participate.  Few men voters were interviewed.  Joining the KTV1 
anchor host were two political commentators, a deputy editor of the 
pan-Arab daily newspaper Al-Hayat and a professor of politics at 
Kuwait University.  After the polls closed at 8:00 p.m., the 
broadcast ran late into the night reporting returns.  The Minister 
of Information's much touted "state-of-the-art" coverage (reftel) 
was evident with eye-catching graphics and charts that illustrated 
up-to-the-minute results for all electoral districts. Notably absent 
from public TV were interviews with candidates. 
 
Al-Rai TV 
--------- 
 
¶4. (U) Differing markedly from public TV was Election Day coverage 
by the private Al-Rai television. Candidates from across the 
political spectrum were regularly interviewed.  During one segment, 
two ended up in a shouting match over election issues, which was 
broadcast live.  Whereas Kuwait TV aired only positive comments of 
women voters, Al-Rai broadcast complaints from voters that the 
polling stations were unorganized, that the lines were too long. 
Some voters complained on air that they had witnessed vote-buying 
taking place at the polls.  Al-Rai also broadcast discussions with 
Kuwaiti political activists whereas public TV featured academicians 
 
KUWAIT 00002601  002 OF 003 
 
 
and media specialists. 
 
Al-Arabiya 
---------- 
 
¶5. (U) The Al-Arabiya pan-Arab satellite news channel devoted 
extensive coverage to the Kuwaiti elections throughout the day. 
Approximately 70 percent of morning and afternoon airtime focused 
exclusively on events in Kuwait. The channel broadcast regular live 
reports from correspondents who were dispatched to polling stations 
throughout the country to interview voters and poll officials.  The 
channel also featured discussions with political leaders and 
commentators, including a former Minister of Planning, the 
editor-in-chief of a large daily newspaper as well as candidates of 
all political persuasions. The guests discussed women voters, 
analyzed the campaign and commented on key election issues such as 
corruption, vote-buying, redistricting and others, including women, 
marriage and stateless persons living in Kuwait. On a segment about 
the unprecedented alignment of liberal and conservative candidates 
on the issue of corruption, the commentator Dr. Ali Al-Moussa, a 
former Minister of Planning, described this truce as "nothing more 
than temporary" and for the sake of convenience in order to get 
elected.  After the polls closed, coverage lessened to about 30 
percent of airtime and featured still more commentators addressing 
the day's events and predicting results.  The channel's Election Day 
reporting also included a piece on the composition of Kuwait's 
different parliaments starting with 1992.  The day's coverage 
wrapped up at 12:45 a.m. on June 30. 
 
Al-Jazeera 
---------- 
 
¶6. (U) In sharp contrast to Al-Arabiya, the pan-Arab satellite news 
channel Al-Jazeera provided only sporadic coverage of the Kuwaiti 
elections.  Reporting and footage emphasized women's participation 
and stressed the slim likelihood of a female candidate being 
elected.  Also stressed was voter turnout, which was described "as 
heated as the hot summer weather," a reference to the 117 degree 
temperature in Kuwait.  The report noted that the emphasis in the 
election campaign fixated on rooting out corruption.  The early a.m. 
coverage on June 30 began reporting district returns and featured 
comments by candidates and political commentators in Kuwait. A 1:00 
a.m. report featured a comment by Dr. Abdullah Al-Shayji who said, 
"This election is an important message from the people to the 
government. The government should clean up its act and listen to 
what the people want.  This election can be considered a 
referendum." 
 
International Satellite Media 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) Several major international news channels, including CNN, BBC 
World, and France2, dispatched correspondents to Kuwait to report on 
Election Day.  CNN began broadcasting reports in the late afternoon 
after its correspondent had visited several polling sites and spoke 
with candidates, voters and polling officials.  The visuals aired 
showed busy polling stations with long lines and also featured shots 
from afar of voters depositing ballots. The channel aired clips of a 
Kuwaiti official who commented how good it is to have sisters, 
mothers and daughters voting in this bastion of male-dominated 
politics.  The Kuwait's first appointed female minister, Planning 
Minister Masouma Mubarak, praised women's participation and noted 
that this is the culmination of a 40-year fight for by Kuwaiti women 
for full political rights.  "Today is a great victory," she said, 
and one that was "not given to women, but rather won."  The BBC was 
late to report on elections in this former British protectorate. 
The first report aired after 11:00 p.m. using CNN's footage. 
 
Kuwait Print Media 
------------------ 
 
¶9. (U) Editions of Kuwait's five Arab-language and two 
English-language newspapers did not hit the streets until late 
morning June 30, the day after elections.  However, while the hard 
copy rolled off the presses, most papers posted polling results on 
their websites.  The headlines focused on two key results, women's 
historic participation, and the makeup of the new Parliament. 
Arabic daily Al-Qabas' front-page headlines included, "The 
Government Lost, the National and Constitutional Islamic Movement 
Won, "Woman Was the Star of Election 2006," "Overall Participation 
rate 65%, women 35%," and "Women Chose Reformists and Islamists." 
Al-Anbaa Arabic daily chose the following headline, "May God Bless 
the Women of This Country; You Did Not Win, But You Did Well." 
Another Arabic daily Al-Seyassah announced, "Women Did Not Have Good 
Luck, Voters Elected a Male Assembly," "Strong Comeback for the 29 
 
KUWAIT 00002601  003 OF 003 
 
 
Block and a Resonant Fall for Independents," and "Clear Progress for 
the Muslim Brotherhood."  Every edition was saturated with election 
coverage.  Al-Seyassah, for example, devoted 45 of its 46-page 
edition to nothing but election coverage.  Most outlets printed 
tables showing the winners in each district and, on inside pages, 
the full tally of each candidate's showing in every district.  All 
the papers were heavy on photographs highlighting women at polling 
stations, Kuwaitis gathered to watch results, and victorious 
candidates.  Because the papers came out so late, editorials from 
the editors-in-chief were not included.  Most editors are expected 
to print their analysis in the July 1 editions. 
 
Blogs -- Youth and Women Speak 
------------------------------ 
 
¶9. (U) Many Kuwaitis posted on the Internet their analysis and 
sentiments about Election Day. The most prolific bloggers are the 
younger generation of reformists. One bemoaned the loss of a 
reformist candidate and advocated for the continuation of the 
movement.  On  he wrote, "Corruption 
forces in Dhayiha have succeeded in eliminating Al-Haroon and 
Al-Nibari.  But this is not the end of the road. It is just the 
beginning." Female bloggers posted their feelings about voting for 
the first time. "Waking up early this morning and preparing myself 
to go to the polling station I felt like it was Eid (a Muslim 
holiday).  That is the continuous feeling today, one of joy and 
happiness at being able to witness and participate in this important 
historical event," one female blogger penned on the site 
.  At one point during the late 
evening, a blogger complained about Internet censorship when a 
popular site appeared to be blocked. "Quality Net (an Internet 
service provider) has been playing around with Ayya's blog.  First 
it was blocked and then every time we try to access it we are taken 
instead to Sa7atSafat (another blog site).  This happened after she 
posted a very juicy story about Marzouq Al-Ghanem's crooked ways of 
transferring votes to Dahia Abdullah Al-Salem," he wrote.  Blog 
sites on Election Day were also forums for calls for action. One 
site urged Kuwaitis to vote and afterward to gather to a public 
square to watch returns together on a large-screen TV. "The war 
against corruption will continue regardless of the results . . . the 
orange tide will not be stopped," the blogger announced on 
.  Other sample comments posted 
throughout the day were "Vote and save your country," on 
 and "Vote, vote, vote and stay 
hydrated," on . 
 
¶10. (U) Comment: Local TV coverage of Election Day highlighted the 
gap between how the public and private broadcast sectors view their 
role in Kuwaiti society.  The polished but placid coverage by Kuwait 
TV underscored its link to the government and the associated 
limitations in serving as a public watchdog.  By contrast, Kuwait's 
private Al-Rai TV and the pan-Arab satellite channels reported on 
controversial issues and presented a wider range of opinion. These 
examples are an indication of the capacity of the private Arab media 
to function in the public interest. 
 
¶11. (U) The disparity in the amount of coverage by Al-Jazeera and 
Al-Arabiya was a reflection of those stations' differing interest in 
and relations with Kuwait.  Al-Jazeera on Election Day focused 
heavily on events in Gaza and offered only sparse coverage of the 
Kuwaiti elections. This underscores Al-Jazeera's view of itself as a 
more international or broad-based news channel.  It can also be seen 
as a manifestation of uneasy ties between Al-Jazeera and Kuwait 
stemming from Kuwait's support for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 
Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya's extensive coverage of Election Day revealed 
the keen interest on the part of neighboring countries in Kuwaiti 
women voting for the first time.  The majority of the international 
media present to cover the Kuwaiti elections were from the Middle 
East and the Gulf region, a further indication of regional interest 
in women voters and development of democracy in the region.  The 
participation of women was certainly the main attraction for the 
relatively impressive showing of other Western media in Kuwait for 
Election Day.  End comment. 
 
********************************************* * 
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