US embassy cable - 05MANAMA228

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000228 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2015 
TAGS: KDEM, PGOV, BA 
SUBJECT: CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE FAILS TO PRODUCE NEW 
IDEAS AND WIDENS RIFTS 
 
REF: A. MANAMA 174 
     B. MANAMA 111 
 
Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (C) The February 10 constitutional conference organized 
by four opposition political societies was marked by 
disagreements among participants and commentary that the 
opposition excluded key players from the event.  NGO 
activists, political societies, journalists, members of 
parliament, and even oppositionists were overwhelmingly in 
agreement that the conference failed to generate fresh 
strategies for dealing with the government on constitutional 
amendments.  As a result of the conference, many from the 
government, parliament, and civil society have publicly 
called for national unity and a more cooperative approach to 
problem-solving.  The widespread negative reaction to the 
conference could lead Bahrain's opposition to rethink its 
position to operate outside of the political system and lead 
to a decision that participation might be a better way to 
reach its objectives.  End Summary. 
 
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Limited Future Plans for Quartet Alliance 
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2.  (U) On February 10, four opposition societies, known as 
the Quartet Alliance, held a conference to discuss 
constitutional reform in Bahrain (Ref A).  The Alliance, 
composed of Al Wifaq, Al Amal Al Islami, National Democratic 
Action Society, and Al Tajamo' Al Qowmi, boycotted the 2002 
parliamentary elections and have vowed to boycott the 2006 
elections unless they are granted a dialogue with the King or 
his representative on amending the constitution.  The King 
has refused to meet with the group following the breakdown of 
a constitutional dialogue between the Alliance and the 
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, saying amending the 
constitution should be discussed only through established 
institutions like the parliament. 
 
3.  (U) Throughout the conference, participants focused on 
their message that the 2002 constitution was not ratified by 
the people and is therefore illegal.  They agreed to organize 
a future conference on the issue and elected a General 
Secretariat to coordinate activities.  Eleven people joined 
 
SIPDIS 
the General Secretariat, two from each of the Alliance's 
societies and three independent members.  Conference 
participants made plans to lobby within Bahrain and 
internationally to enact constitutional reform.  According to 
press reports, a comprehensive document on the issue will be 
presented to the U.S. Congress, the European Union, and 
"other international bodies interested in democracy and human 
rights." 
 
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Participant Infighting 
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4.  (C) Despite the election of a General Secretariat and 
plans for future activities, the overwhelming opinion -- from 
NGO activists, political societies, journalists, members of 
parliament, and even boycotting groups -- was that the 
conference failed to generate fresh strategies for progress. 
According to a leading newspaper, Al Wifaq rejected a 
proposal made by the National Democratic Action Society 
(NDAS) to give the Secretariat the authority to conduct 
negotiations with the government on behalf of the Alliance. 
This led the head of the conference's Prepatory Committee, 
Aziz Abul, to accuse Al Wifaq of unjustly taking independent 
decisions.  (Note: The press reported that several conference 
participants suggested that Al Wifaq's rejection was an 
attempt to ensure that the opposition's decisions remain in 
the hands of religious leaders.  End Note.)  NDAS leader 
Abdulrahman Al Nuaimi publicly predicted that the Alliance 
would break apart.  Abul later told PolFSN that the Alliance 
would "definitely remain together."  General Secretariat 
member Nizar Al Qari privately admitted to PolFSN that the 
conference was not productive. 
 
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Restrictions on Attendance 
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5.  (C) The Prepatory Committee cooperated with the Ministry 
of Social Affairs in limiting the conference's participation 
to Bahrainis.  The Alliance sent letters to foreigners who 
had been invited to the conference and informed them they 
could come only as observers.  The Committee complied with 
last minute instructions from the government to bar 
foreigners from the conference even as observers.  (Note: An 
Amcit invited to attend chose not to do so upon learning of 
the government's sensitivity.  End Note.) 
 
6.  (C) A number of political societies and NGOs that support 
a constitutional dialogue, including the Bahrain Freedoms 
Society and the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society, claimed 
that conference organizers barred them from attending.  Al 
Mithaq National Action Charter Society denounced the 
Prepatory Committee's exclusion of certain groups and accused 
the Quartet Alliance of "destructive competitiveness."  Abdul 
Hadi Marhoon, Council of Representatives (COR) First Deputy 
Chairman and Democratic Bloc member, told PolFSN that the 
Alliance's exclusion of others, most importantly those with 
the authority to make changes, would harm its cause.  Fareed 
Ghazi of the COR's Economic Bloc accused Alliance members of 
only talking to each other and failing to incorporate new 
ideas and strategies to promote their goals. 
 
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Calls for National Unity and Cooperation 
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7.  (U) On February 9, one day before the conference, English 
and Arabic newspapers printed a lengthy statement by the King 
to commemorate the 2001 referendum on the National Action 
Charter (NAC).  (Note:  The anniversary of the referendum is 
February 14, but the King clearly intended his message to 
reach Bahrainis before the conference.  End Note.).  The King 
reaffirmed that when citizens voted on the NAC, they 
delegated the leadership to draft the constitution.  The King 
encouraged citizens to look to the future and not to the past 
in thinking about reform.  Also on February 9, First Deputy 
Chairman of the Shura Council Abdul Rahman Jamsheer called on 
the boycotting societies to engage with the Shura and COR and 
not be a roadblock.  He proposed that professional syndicates 
might play a role in electing a percentage of seats in the 
Shura Council, all of whose members are now appointed by the 
King.  Following the conference, several influential groups, 
including the Al Minbar and Al Mithaq political societies, 
called the conference ineffective and seconded the King's 
call for national unity. 
 
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Comment 
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8.  (C) The widespread negative reaction to the conference 
could lead Bahrain's opposition to rethink its position to 
operate outside of the political system and conclude that 
participation might be a better way to reach its objectives 
(Ref B).  Both publicly and privately oppositionists are 
acknowledging that in boycotting and confronting the 
government they successfully brought important problems into 
the limelight, but that to solve the problems they believe 
they can be more effective by working through formal 
political institutions, including the government and 
parliament. 
MONROE