VZCZCXRO2656
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHKU #3878/01 2710650
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 280650Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6936
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 003878 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: MINISTER ANTICIPATES CONTENTIOUS 
PARLIAMENT SESSION; DOWNPLAYS SECTARIANISM IN KUWAIT 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 3856 
     ¶B. KUWAIT 3826 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C/NF) Summary: During a September 27 meeting with the 
Ambassador, Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs 
Abdul Hadi Al-Saleh said the Government is expending "maximum 
efforts" to repair its "tense" relations with Parliament. 
Despite these efforts, the Minister predicted Parliament 
would still be "provocative" in the next legislative session, 
which starts October 30.  He believed some MPs preferred to 
see Parliament dissolved early so new elections could be held 
under the recently-adopted five constituency electoral 
system.  Al-Saleh claimed Islamists were trying to "pressure 
decision-making" both inside and outside Parliament and 
predicted Islamist MPs would push conservative legislation in 
the upcoming session.  The Minister did not think sectarian 
violence in Iraq and Hizballah ascendancy in Lebanon would 
have a significant impact on Shi'a-Sunni relations in Kuwait, 
which despite some minor Shi'a grievances and verbal 
denigration on both sides, are generally good.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (C/NF) The Ambassador met September 27 with Abdul Hadi 
Al-Saleh, the Minister of State for National Assembly 
(Parliament) Affairs and one of two Shi'a in the 16-member 
Cabinet.  Al-Saleh described his Ministry's function as 
"managing the legal and political aspects of the Government's 
relations with Parliament."  Recently, these relations have 
been "tense" despite the Government's "maximum efforts" to 
accommodate parliamentarians' (MPs) demands, Al-Saleh said. 
As examples, he cited the Cabinet's formation of an 
inter-ministerial committee to review all 150 outstanding 
questions posed by MPs to various ministries; the planned 
appointment of a point-person to follow up on MPs' requests 
and review the priorities of the various parliamentary blocs 
(ref B); and the Cabinet's decision based on Al-Saleh's 
suggestion to include local NGO representatives in a 
committee formed September 26 to review 
Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) projects in Kuwait.  Al-Saleh 
hoped this last step, which he described as a "watershed" 
decision," would get local NGOs more involved in "the 
decision-making process." 
 
Parliament Looking for a Clash? 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C/NF) Despite these efforts to "bridge the gap" with the 
Parliament, the Minister predicted the Parliament would still 
be "provocative" in the next legislative session, something 
he attributed to some MPs' desire to see the current 
Parliament dissolved so new elections could be held under the 
new five constituency electoral system.  (Note: In July, 
Parliament approved legislation reducing the number of 
electoral constituencies from 25 to 5, a reform expected to 
reduce electoral corruption and open the door to political 
parties.  The Speaker recently told the Ambassador the 
reduction would change the nature of parliamentary politics 
in Kuwait (ref A).  End note.  It is not clear to us, 
however, that newly-elected members would want to go to the 
polls again soon, an expensive and risky process. End Note) 
Al-Saleh said that some legislative issues were further 
complicated by some MPs' impression that the U.S. was trying 
to manipulate the outcome.  He believed this was the reason 
for some MPs' opposition to the controversial project to 
develop Kuwait's northern oil fields in partnership with 
international oil companies. 
 
Islamists Trying to "Pressure Decision-Making" 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4.  (C/NF) Asked about increased Islamist representation and 
influence in Parliament, the Minister said Islamists were 
trying to "pressure decision-making" both inside and outside 
Parliament.  He cited as examples Islamists' successful 
obstruction of the temporary establishment of a church in 
Kheitan and the airing of certain television programs during 
Ramadan, which Al-Saleh said indicated their "influence and 
effectiveness."  Al-Saleh believed Islamist MPs would push 
conservative legislation, like a law on zakat (religious 
tax), in the upcoming parliamentary session. 
 
Despite Some Grievances, Kuwaiti Sectarian Relations Good 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶5.  (C/NF) Al-Saleh said he did not anticipate that sectarian 
violence in Iraq and Hizballah ascendancy in Lebanon would 
have a significant impact on Shi'a-Sunni relations in Kuwait. 
 
KUWAIT 00003878  002 OF 002 
 
 
 He noted that Kuwaiti pan-Arabists were "happy with 
Hizballah's victory in Lebanon, because they think Israel was 
created to undermine Arab unity," and that "many Arabs were 
happy that an Arab group stood up to the Israelis for so 
long."  Al-Saleh continued: "We cannot deny, however, that 
there is a type of verbal clash" (between Shi'a and Sunnis in 
Kuwait) and Shi'a still have some "grievances" about 
discrimination.  In particular, he argued that Kuwaiti Shi'a 
should be allowed to air their own programs on public 
satellite stations.  "These programs send a political message 
and Shi'a should be given equal media opportunities," 
otherwise they will turn to other satellite stations in the 
region, Al-Saleh argued.  "The time for Government monopoly 
of these sensitive media is gone."  On the whole, though, he 
said Shi'a-Sunni relations in Kuwait were good and Kuwait was 
not susceptible to the type of sectarian violence found 
elsewhere in the region. 
 
Bio Note 
-------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Al-Saleh was appointed State Minister for National 
Assembly Affairs, his first ministerial post, in July 2006. 
He is one of two Shi'a ministers in the Cabinet--the other is 
Dr. Ma'souma Al-Mubarak, the Minister of Communications. 
Al-Saleh also serves on the Ja'fari Waqf's (Shi'a religious 
endowment) Consultative Committee and the Ministry of Awqaf's 
General Secretariat.  In addition, he is the Secretary 
General of the National Charter Grouping, a moderate, 
pro-reform Shi'a political association.  Prior to his 
appointment, Al-Saleh was a columnist for Al-Anba and Al-Rai 
Al-Aam (local Arabic dailies) and used to meet regularly with 
Embassy officials.  He has also written several books on 
Kuwaiti politics and society. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Al-Saleh was taken captive by Iraqi forces during 
the invasion and held until after the liberation of Kuwait in 
¶1991.  He was born in 1951 and has a degree in Law and 
Islamic Shari'a.  Al-Saleh told the Ambassador he works 
"around the clock," but enjoys jogging and meditating in his 
limited free time.  He also runs a husseiniya 
(religiously-oriented Shi'a diwaniya).  A full bio is 
available on our 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/ 
********************************************* * 
LeBaron