US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT1876

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001876 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP 
TEL AVIV FOR DCM LEBARON 
TUNIS FOR NATALIE BROWN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, KU 
SUBJECT: (U) CONSTITUENCY DEBATE ENDS IN BICKERING 
 
REF: KUWAIT 01705 
 
Classified By: CDA FRANK URBANCIC; REASON 1.4 (B,D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: The June 12 special session of parliament to 
discuss the reduction of electoral constituencies dissolved 
into bickering and shouting matches ultimately leading to the 
adjournment of the session.  Too few MPs support any one of 
the three proposals being considered and there appear even to 
be several competing factions within the Cabinet, as the GOK 
has proposed two diverging plans while Mohammed Dhaifallah 
Sharar, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State for Cabinet 
Affairs, and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs, 
has questioned the constitutionality of both.  Both the GOK 
and various MPs appear intent on obstructing any genuine 
efforts to debate constituency reform.  Another special 
session on this topic has been scheduled for June 19, but its 
prospects are not obviously better. END SUMMARY. 
 
(U) Saturday's Special Session 
-------------------------------------- 
2. (SBU) The June 12 special session of parliament was held 
with the aim of determining which of three constituency 
reform proposals would be brought to the floor for debate and 
possible passage: two presented by the GOK and one by the 
Assembly's Interior and Defense Affairs Committee.  What 
appeared to be a straightforward assignment turned into a day 
of endless shouting matches and sophomoric stall tactics from 
both members of parliament and the Cabinet.  One news daily 
described the shouts and cries from MPs interrupting basic 
procedures as "scenes rarely seen in the National Assembly." 
After an opening 20 minute argument between Speaker Jassem 
Al-Khorafi and several MPs on whether or not to even read the 
proposals to be debated, it was clear that the MPs were 
largely divided on which proposal to support, if any at all. 
Included in the debate were the usual arguments that the 
current system promotes corruption while others argued that a 
new system must ensure a fair representation of minorities. 
(Ref A) The GOK insisted that it would vote only for either 
of its two proposed bills and would only do so if there were 
no changes. 
 
3. (SBU) A vote to return the proposals back to the Interior 
and Defense Affairs Committee was called, held, and failed. 
Further bickering led the Speaker to adjourn the session for 
a half hour to restore order.  After he reconvened the 
session and called again for a vote, several MPs renewed the 
shouting at which time Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmad, 
who was in attendance, proposed adjourning the session for 
one week, to which the Speaker consented. 
 
(U) The Three Proposals 
------------------------------ 
4. (SBU) There are three separate 10-constituency proposals 
being considered by the National Assembly.  The first to be 
discussed, according to the Assembly's agenda, is the 
proposal by a committee of five ministers led by Justice 
Minister Ahmed Baqer.  This proposal permits voters to vote 
for only half of the Assembly seats in each 
constituency*either 4 or 6 seats*and has a very unequal 
distribution of population per district*e.g. in one 
constituency there are 6 parliamentary seats and only 8,000 
voters, while another has only 4 seats with over 15,000 
eligible voters. 
 
5. (SBU) The second GOK proposal, attributed to Shaykh Sabah 
Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, Chairman of the National Security Bureau, 
and Energy Minister Shaykh Ahmed Al-Fahd Al-Sabah offers 
voters the opportunity to cast votes for only 2 of 5 seats in 
each of the 10 constituencies.  The number of eligible voters 
in each constituency ranges from 8,000-17,000 and there have 
been accusations that the geographical distribution of the 
constituencies, in this plan, is designed to unseat key 
opposition MPs. 
 
6. (SBU) The third plan is a modification of the GOK,s first 
proposal by parliament's Interior and Defense Affairs 
Committee.  It offers a far more balanced distribution of 
voters vis--vis seats and allows voters to cast a vote for 
all available seats in their constituency*which range from 2 
to 8 depending on population. 
 
(U) The Dispute within the Dispute 
------------------------------------------- 
7. (SBU) While there are several differences at issue within 
each plan that have led to lengthy arguments, the order in 
which the three proposed bills are to be discussed in 
parliament is even at issue.  In fact, this has become 
something of a sticking point.  The Interior and Defense 
Affairs committee had arranged to first review and vote on 
the 5-member ministerial committee proposal.  The GOK wants 
to review first its proposal submitted by the National 
Security Bureau and then its proposal by the 5-member 
ministerial committee.  Some of the bickering in last 
Saturday's session resulted from the dispute over this 
administrative sequence.  Some MPs are accusing Mohammed 
Dhaifallah Sharar, who pushed for the change in the docket on 
behalf of the GOK, of trying to violate the National 
Assembly's code of procedures. 
 
8. (C) One liberal pundit opined that the GOK wants its 
"National Security" proposal to be addressed first because it 
represents the least change from the current situation*which 
he argued is in the interests of the Government.  He 
envisaged the following scenario: if the GOK,s preferred 
proposal is raised first, the GOK will convince those MPs who 
are against any change in the constituencies to choose it 
over the other two.  Once this proposal is presented a second 
time, to become law, all those MPs who originally opposed any 
change will withdraw their support, thus ensuring that 
nothing is passed. 
 
(U) Still Other Disputes 
----------------------------- 
9. (SBU) In yet another dispute, Sharar, a  lawyer, and MP 
AbdulWahed Al-Awadhi, a vocal opponent of reducing the 
constituencies, raised "suspicions" about the 
constitutionality of either GOK bill, because they would 
limit each voter's ability to vote for all seats in their 
constituency.  Article 80 of the Constitution says MPs are 
elected by universal suffrage; Article 81 says constituencies 
are determined by law. 
 
10. (SBU) Speaker Al-Khorafi is being accused of acting for 
the GOK because he agreed to adjourn the session until next 
Saturday at Shaykh Sabah,s request.  Some MPs are accusing 
him of making the Assembly a "ministerial committee" arguing 
that what he did benefited the GOK position and violated the 
Assembly's charter, which allows the Speaker to adjourn the 
session for a half hour only, not for one week.  Al-Khorafi 
defended his actions, saying that it was not possible to 
bring order back to the unruly chamber. 
 
10. (C) COMMENT:  While a small majority of MPs appear to 
agree on reducing the number of constituencies, it is quite 
clear that consensus is lacking on the method to achieve this 
reduction.  Add to these differences those who are advocating 
for the status quo and a Government which has only muddied 
the waters by issuing two different reduction proposals--then 
suggesting both might be unconstitutional--and there appears 
to be a recipe for failure, which only a clear stand by the 
GOK is likely to fix in the short term--and that is precisely 
what is lacking. 
URBANCIC