VZCZCXRO0823
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHKU #2871/01 1981446
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 171446Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5809
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 002871 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NSC FOR RAMCHAND, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS 
FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2016 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: REFORMERS WIN MAJOR VICTORY AS 
PARLIAMENT APPROVES FIVE ELECTORAL CONSTITUENCIES 
 
REF: KUWAIT 2821 
 
Classified By: Political Chief Natalie E. Brown for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
 (d) 
 
¶1.  (C/NF) Summary and comment: Parliament voted July 17 to 
reduce the number of electoral constituencies from 25 to 
five.  The vote comes after months of contentious debate on 
the issue, which culminated in the Amir's dissolution of 
Parliament on May 21.  According to one liberal political 
analyst, the reform will have an immediate impact on Kuwait's 
political dynamics and will change the relationship between 
Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Government.  One Islamist 
MP told Poloff pro-reform MPs would introduce a campaign 
finance law and push for passage of anti-corruption measures 
when Parliament reconvenes in October.  He said they would 
also begin working on legislation to permit the establishment 
of "political NGOs" as an intermediate step to political 
parties. 
 
¶2.  (C/NF) Comment: The passage of a five constituency bill, 
only two months after the Amir dissolved Parliament over the 
same issue, is a major victory for reformers in Kuwait. 
Coming shortly after the Government made another concession 
to reformers -- excluding Shyakh Ahmed Al-Fahd and Mohammed 
Sharar from the new Cabinet -- it demonstrates the growing 
power of political activism in Kuwait.  Many Kuwaitis also 
interpret the failure of the Government to outline a clear, 
consistent policy on this issue as evidence of the weakness 
of the country's current leadership and the divisions within 
the ruling Al-Sabah family.  The challenge for pro-reformers 
will be in remaining united and outlining their own vision 
for Kuwait now that their primary demands have been met.  End 
summary and comment. 
 
We Want Five, We Got Five 
------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) On July 17, Parliament voted 60 to 2 in favor of the 
Government's draft bill to reduce the number of electoral 
constituencies from 25 to five.  The vote follows months of 
contentious debate on the issue and is a major victory for 
pro-reformers.  Pro-reform activists observing the session 
broke into loud applause and began singing the national 
anthem after the vote.  Under the new electoral system, ten 
MPs will be elected from each of the five constituencies. 
Each voter can vote for up to four separate candidates, 
effectively doubling the total number of potential votes and 
significantly diminishing the potential for electoral 
corruption.  In addition, areas outside the boundaries of the 
25 constituencies were included in the new five 
constituencies, adding more than 30,000 new voters.  The 
first national elections to be held under this new system are 
scheduled for 2010. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Although they voted for the bill, some MPs 
expressed reservations about the geographic and demographic 
distribution of the Government's proposal (reftel) and 
pledged to introduce amendments to the legislation when 
Parliament reconvenes in October.  Shi'a MP Saleh Ashour said 
he would go even further and introduce a one constituency 
proposal, which many pro-reform MPs have argued is the ideal 
electoral system.  There were some rumors that pro-reform MPs 
would collectively resign after the vote to force new 
elections under the five constituency system, but this is 
highly unlikely.  Parliament also unanimously approved a bill 
forgiving the interest on loans taken out by retirees against 
their pensions, which was previously rejected by the 
Government.  Parliament is scheduled to meet twice more 
before breaking for summer recess until October 31. 
 
A Changing Relationship 
----------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C/NF) According to Ahmed Deyain, an astute, liberal 
political analyst, the passage of electoral reform 
legislation will have an immediate impact on political 
dynamics within Parliament.  Specifically, it will change the 
relationship between MPs and the Government.  With so many 
more voters per constituency, MPs will no longer be able to 
rely solely on their personal, familial, or tribal 
connections for political support, Deyain argued. 
Consequently, they will be forced to focus more on real 
issues and will no longer be as beholden to the Government to 
obtain favors for their constituents, he claimed.  Even 
pro-Government "service deputies" might try to redefine 
themselves as nationalists or populists in order to broaden 
their appeal to voters.  Ultimately, this would reduce the 
 
KUWAIT 00002871  002 OF 002 
 
 
Government's ability to influence MPs, Deyain said. 
 
The First Step 
-------------- 
 
¶6.  (C/NF) Electoral reform is the first step towards broader 
political reform in Kuwait, Dr. Nasser Al-Sane, a pro-reform 
Islamist MP, told Poloff on June 16.  Asked about the next 
steps, Al-Sane said he hoped Parliament would discuss a 
campaign finance law when it reconvened in October.  He said 
another top priority was implementation of anti-corruption 
measures, such as a financial accountability law requiring 
all MPs to disclose their personal finances and the creation 
of a parliamentary committee to investigate corruption, 
specifically the notoriously corrupt allocation of land by 
the Municipal Council.  He noted, though, that such a 
committee would run into a lot of opposition.  Al-Sane said 
pro-reform MPs were also considering legislation permitting 
the establishment of "political NGOs, like those in Bahrain," 
as an intermediate step to political parties.  He noted, 
however, that this would require close coordination and 
consultation with the Government. 
 
¶7.  (U) Bios on the new Members of Parliament are available 
on post's classified website. 
 
********************************************* * 
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