US embassy cable - 04MANAMA1558

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 001558 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, PREL, BA 
SUBJECT: KING OPENS PARLIAMENT WITH SHOW OF UNITY 
 
Classified by DCM Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1.  (C) King Hamad October 9 opened Parliament's third 
session since the adoption of the National Charter with a 
speech focusing on the need for unity, dialogue, and 
tolerance in the Kingdom.  The King warned that in-fighting 
puts prosperity at risk and people must find a way to express 
differences of opinion with serenity and courtesy.  The 
message resonates on many levels - within the Arab world, 
Bahraini society, and the Al Khalifa family.  While 
complimenting the Prime Minister for his many 
accomplishments, the King thrust his son Crown Prince Salman 
firmly into the limelight by entrusting him with the 
Kingdom's most sensitive political issue, the process of 
discussing amendments to the constitution.  He praised the 
CP's work on labor reform, the topic that led to tensions 
between the CP and the Prime Minister last month.  The King 
proposed development of a personal status law based on 
religious values that is well-balanced and moderate. 
Regarding foreign affairs, the King discussed Iraq and the 
Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Echoes of Lincoln:  A House Divided Cannot Thrive 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
2.  (C) King Hamad October 9 opened the third parliamentary 
session since the 2002 adoption of the National Charter with 
an address to a joint session of the Council of 
Representatives and the Shura (Consultative) Council.  With 
his uncle Prime Minister Khalifa and son Crown Prince Salman 
flanking him on the dais, the King stated that "divided 
houses do not make thriving nations" in the context of 
inter-Arab in-fighting.  However, Bahrainis understood the 
message to be that, in the aftermath of tensions brought on 
by the CP's labor reform conference in September and his 
implicit criticism of the PM's stewardship of the economy 
over the past 30-plus years, the Al Khalifa family must close 
ranks and avoid conflict. 
 
3.  (C) The point also resonated more broadly within Bahraini 
society, which is marked by a Shia-Sunni demographic divide 
and lately has been dealing with the specter of sectarian 
friction following the late September arrest of civil society 
activist Abdel Hadi Al Khawaja, a critic of the government 
and an advocate for Shia empowerment.  The King continued 
that "we stress commitment to serenity in dialogues and 
courtesy in divergences of opinions... and consider such 
attributes the core of Bahraini values."  This view echoes 
statements made by other leaders, including Shia spiritual 
leader Shaikh Issa Qassem and opposition society Al Wifaq 
President Ali Salman, who called for calming down the 
situation and solidarity within Bahraini society. 
 
---------------------------- 
CP To Lead National Dialogue 
---------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) About one-third of the way into his speech, the King 
spoke of the "wise government led by our dear uncle" the PM 
and his great success and achievements.  Moments later the 
King talked about the political and economic reform process 
he has implemented and entrusted the Crown Prince with 
following up on these issues.  Most importantly, he will lead 
the national dialogue, the process of talks between the GOB 
and four opposition political societies on possible 
amendments to the constitution to rationalize and improve the 
efficiency of the legislative process.  (Note:  We understand 
that for now, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Majid Al 
Alawi will continue to head the government team interacting 
directly with the opposition parties, but he will report to 
the CP on the status of the dialogue rather than to the King. 
 End Note.) 
 
5.  (C) The King highlighted the honor of serving in the 
parliament and said, "there is no substitute or source for 
the development of democracy other than you, the sons and 
representatives of this nation."  One contact understood this 
to be a subtle message that changes to the constitution would 
come only through legislative channels, and not by 
oppositionists negotiating directly with the government. 
 
------------------------------------- 
First Step Is Acknowledging A Problem 
------------------------------------- 
 
6.  (C) The King commended the Crown Prince for his 
chairmanship of the Economic Development Board, citing his 
"well-studied initiative" on labor market reform.  The King 
continued that, "We believe that it takes courage when a 
state informs its people about the problems because that move 
represents the first step towards a solution.  We fully 
support this move, and we stress to the Crown Prince the 
importance of immediate action to prepare, as part of his 
mission, the second line of young leaders who will assume the 
responsibility and carry on the reforms." 
 
-------------------------- 
Personal Status Initiative 
-------------------------- 
 
7.  (C) The King's major new policy initiative was his desire 
for a personal status law.  He stated that it must be a 
flexible law that takes into account religious values, 
protects the rights of women and children, and guides legal 
relations between husband and wife.  He cautioned that the 
law must be drawn from "our tolerant Islamic values" and be 
well-balanced and moderate and allow for "ijtihad," the 
interpretation of Islamic principles. 
 
8.  (C) During his October 9 meeting with Defense Secretary 
Rumsfeld, hours after the speech to parliament, the King said 
that he had raised a "revolutionary idea," that women and 
children should rely upon the law for their rights and the 
husband/father was not the absolute authority in their lives. 
 He noted that Bahraini women are prominent in education, 
medicine, and law, and that 56 percent of registered voters 
in the Kingdom are women. 
 
9.  (C) MP Salah Ali, president of the Al Minbar political 
society, a relatively moderate Sunni organization, told 
PolFSN that his parliamentary bloc strongly supports 
development of a personal status law.  Al Minbar had proposed 
a law some two years ago that was harshly criticized by 
leaders in the Shia community, who feared that the law would 
impose Sunni interpretations of Sharia tenets on all 
citizens.  Ali hoped that by stressing flexibility and 
"ijtihad," the King had paved the way for development of a 
law that would be acceptable to all. 
 
--------------- 
Foreign Affairs 
--------------- 
 
10.  (C) The King proudly cited his participation in the G8 
Sea Island Summit last July, saying it was recognition of the 
model that Bahrain represents in the Gulf region.  In a 
possible reference to the Greater Middle East and North 
Africa initiative, the King stated, "we do not import 
democracy."  He stressed that the democratic reform process 
is deeply rooted in the heritage of Bahrain's citizens. 
 
11.  (C) The King said that the solution to Iraq's problems 
must come from within.  Iraq's unity can be maintained 
through democracy, constructive cooperation with its 
neighbors, and openness towards the international community. 
He also raised achieving a comprehensive and just peace in 
the Middle East based on secure borders for all states, 
including an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as 
its capital. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
12.  (C) The King used his address to parliament as a vehicle 
to appeal for unity and calm and to emphasize the need for 
dialogue to resolve differences.  His advice works on many 
levels, from inside his immediate family to the international 
scene.  He also took steps to ensure that his son, the Crown 
Prince, becomes more directly involved in the central 
political issue facing the Kingdom, the national dialogue on 
amending the constitution.  While the King was careful to 
praise the Prime Minister and his accomplishments, the net 
effect of the speech was to push the Crown Prince more firmly 
into the middle of Bahrain's political life as a way for him 
to establish his credibility and to prepare for his future 
job. 
 
MONROE