VZCZCXRO7790
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHKU #0312/01 0781003
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181003Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1027
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA// IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000312 
 
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 
LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER 
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO PREL PGOV XF KU MEDIA REACTION
 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - GOK CABINET RESIGNATION 
 
REF: KUWAIT 307 
 
¶1. (U) Following the late afternoon resignation of the Kuwaiti 
cabinet on March 17 (Reftel), the Kuwaiti press the next morning 
focused on what the event might mean for the country's short-term 
political future.  In banner headlines, the ten Arabic-language and 
three English-language daily newspapers reviewed 
government-parliamentary tensions leading up to the resignation and 
speculated on whether the Amir would dissolve parliament and call 
for new elections.  In general, the press provided measured 
non-inflammatory coverage of the sudden event. Only one 
English-language daily used the word "crisis" in its headline to 
describe the current situation.  Most editorials speculated that the 
Amir would dissolve parliament and call for new elections.  However, 
many also questioned whether this would relieve the sense of 
political stalemate felt throughout much of the country. Sample 
March 18 headlines include: 
 
'The government hesitated, stumbled and then collapsed, Al-Rai. 
 
'Eight reasons pushed the government to resign.  Early Elections 
with Five electoral districts,' Al-Qabas. 
 
'Possible unconstitutional dissolution of the Parliament and 
formation of a National Rescue Government,' Al-Seyassah. 
 
'The Government Resigned; Fed up with the MPs,' Al-Watan. 
 
'The government resigned. Solution is contingent upon the success or 
failure of efforts to bring the two branches together,' Al-Anbaa. 
 
'The Amir cut short his holiday and comes back to the country 
because of the resignation of the government,' Al-Jarida. 
 
'Cabinet resigns in fresh crisis,' Arab Times. 
 
'The government shaken by MPs' infractions,' Al-Wasat. 
 
 
¶2. (U) The political editor of the moderate Arabic-language daily Al 
Qabas pessimistically opined that the resignation shows that the 
effective balance of powers between the executive and legislative 
branches is no longer working as they once did. Block quote: "The 
core of the crisis is the dysfunctional relationship between the 
National Assembly and the government. This is also the reason behind 
the collapse of the balance of powers that has until now governed 
the country's affairs.  Unless a change is made to resolve this 
rift, the problem will continue and reappear over and over again in 
different shapes even if the assembly were dissolved and a new 
parliament elected." 
 
 
¶3. (U) The pro-government Arabic-language daily Al-Anbaa summed up 
the pessimism expressed by many over the possibility of any 
near-term resolution and looked to the Amir for leadership. Block 
quote: "[The government's resignation] is an opportunity for the 
government and the leadership to reconsider all the political 
options available to them.  However, we share the sense of pessimism 
among some people regarding recent political developments.  But we 
trust that our leadership has the wisdom and ability to resolve this 
issue." 
 
 
¶4. (U) The new Arabic-language daily Awan summed up a prevailing 
question as to whether a new election, even based on Kuwait's new 
electoral districts, would necessarily end the tension between the 
government and the legislature. Block quote: "Certainly elections 
based on the five electoral constituencies would introduce a new 
era.  Many old faces in the current parliament would disappear and 
new ones would arrive on the scene.  From the past we know that 
elections generally result in one half of the new parliament being 
new faces.  This time, with the new districts, that number might be 
even bigger. But the question remains, would the bad performance of 
this parliament simply become the traditions of the new one?" The 
moderate liberal Arabic Daily Al-Jarida repeated this pessimism. 
Block quote: "The resignation of the government will reoccur and the 
dissolution of the parliament will be repeated so long as we have 
hands insisting on spreading the wind so the country harvests the 
storm [referring to conservatives MPs whom the paper sees as 
blocking cooperation and progress]." 
 
 
********************************************* * 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
 
KUWAIT 00000312  002 OF 002 
 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s 
 
Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ 
********************************************* * 
 
MISENHEIMER