US embassy cable - 05MANAMA746

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000746 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, BA 
SUBJECT: DAS CARPENTER DISCUSSES REFORM WITH POLITICAL 
LEADERS 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1.  (C) NEA Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Carpenter met 
with four political society leaders May 10 to discuss 
Bahrain's reform process.  The leaders -- two from the 
boycotting opposition and two MPs -- acknowledged that 
Bahrain needs further democratic reform but disagreed on the 
impact of the current reforms and the preferred pace for 
future developments.  The meeting sparked some commentary in 
the local press, particularly in one pro-Baathist newspaper, 
with some columnists wondering if it may have been an 
intervention in Bahrain's internal affairs.  Representatives 
of two political societies publicly defended the meeting and 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs inquired of the Ambassador 
about the nature of the meeting. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Four leaders express their views 
-------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) Four political society leaders met with NEA DAS Scott 
Carpenter May 10 to share their views on Bahrain's reform 
process.  The leaders -- Ibrahim Sharif and Mohammed Jameel 
Al Jamry from the boycotting opposition and MPs Abdulnabi 
Salman and Dr. Salah Ali from parliament -- concurred that 
there is room for more reform, but disagreed on the current 
status of reforms and the pace for future developments.  All 
except Dr. Salah believed "real dialogue" between the 
government and the opposition was necessary if compromise and 
progress were to be achieved.  Carpenter told the 
participants that the U.S. has singled out Bahrain for 
praise, but expects consistent progress in the 
democratization process. 
 
---------------------------------- 
National Democratic Action Society 
---------------------------------- 
 
3.  (C) National Democratic Action Society (NDAS) President 
Ibrahim Sharif explained that he and others in the boycotting 
opposition refer all of their concerns directly to the King 
because they consider the parliament to be powerless.  The 
King could decrease sectarian tensions by altering electoral 
districts, which he claimed currently give an unfair 
advantage to Sunni voters.  He said that the opposition is 
not asking to return to the 1973 constitution, but he 
referred to it at least a dozen times.  Sharif warned that 
economic instability in Bahrain will grow as oil and gas 
revenues decrease, and this could easily lead to political 
instability if the GOB and the opposition are not on good 
terms.  NDAS, recognizing that the opposition could have a 
louder voice if it were in parliament, will embark on a "soul 
searching process" at the end of the year to decide if it 
should participate in the 2006 elections.  Sharif made a plea 
for "outside pressure" on the government to engage with the 
opposition.  Without it, he asserted, the political 
environment would fail to evolve and could deteriorate. 
 
-------- 
Al Wifaq 
-------- 
 
4.  (C) Mohammed Jameel Al Jamry, a board member of leading 
Shi'a opposition group Al Wifaq, said the opposition has done 
a lot to stabilize the country by calming people down and 
channeling people's frustrations into peaceful activity.  Al 
Wifaq's number one priority is gaining constitutional 
amendments that are significant enough to justify its 
participation in the 2006 elections.  Unfortunately, he 
explained, the GOB refuses to meet with the opposition or 
renew a dialogue on issues of concern.  Al Jamry rejected the 
idea that Al Wifaq has a sectarian agenda, emphasizing that 
constitutional reforms would benefit all Bahrainis. 
 
------------------ 
Democratic bloc MP 
------------------ 
 
5.  (C) Democratic bloc MP Abdulnabi Salman said he did not 
feel that the GOB is committed to reform.  If the GOB were 
truly interested in full participation in the 2006 
parliamentary elections, it would engage in a dialogue with 
the opposition and compromise on issues such as 
constitutional reform and the election law.  Instead, the GOB 
is hassling oppositionists and missing opportunities to build 
trust.  Salman hoped that the international community would 
support genuine reform in Bahrain.  While acknowledging that 
the parliament is not as strong as it could be, he rejected 
the notion that it is powerless.  In the past three years, 
MPs have pressured the government on a number of key issues 
including corruption, the constitution, and the need for 
political parties. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Al Minbar (Muslim Brotherhood) MP 
--------------------------------- 
 
6.  (C) President of the Al Minbar (Muslim Brotherhood) bloc 
in parliament Dr. Salah Ali urged the oppositionists to join 
the system.  He commented that society is divided now because 
some people do not recognize that reform is a process and 
that realistically a society and government cannot change 
overnight.  It is true that there are many restrictions on 
parliament, but it has been effective in instigating a 
cabinet reshuffle and shifting power away from the Prime 
Minister.  Bahrain is more free than most countries in the 
region.  Pressure for change should come from inside Bahrain, 
and not foreign countries. 
 
---------------------- 
Reactions in the Press 
---------------------- 
 
7.  (C) Akhbar Al Khaleej, a daily newspaper with a wide 
Sunni readership, printed an article May 12 on Carpenter's 
meeting with the society leaders.  The article noted some of 
the issues discussed in the meeting and questioned why the 
GOB allowed such a meeting to take place, especially after 
its criticism of the British ambassador's meeting with the 
opposition in October 2004.   Al Wasat, an independent 
newspaper with a mostly Shi'a readership, published similar 
comments from the president of the Islamic Action Society, a 
small boycotting group.  Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Assistant Undersecretary for Coordination and Follow Up 
Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa asked the Ambassador 
about the meeting.  The Ambassador explained that Carpenter 
met with leaders who represented a variety of view points, as 
he did when visiting any country.  Sheikh Abdul Aziz seemed 
satisfied with that information. 
 
8.  (C) Akhbar Al Khaleej also published two columns 
condemning Al Minbar for participating in what it called a 
closed meeting with a U.S. official.  Al Minbar President 
Salah Ali responded publicly saying that the meeting was not 
secret and affirmed that Al Minbar is open to dialogue with 
 
SIPDIS 
everyone but refuses foreign pressure or intervention.  Al 
Asala (Salafi) bloc MP Adel Al Moawda told the press that 
such meetings are acceptable as long as the participants' 
intentions are good. 
 
9.  (C) Comment: Carpenter's meeting again highlighted the 
challenges facing the GOB as it seeks to introduce greater 
political reform.  Achieving opposition participation in the 
process is critical to securing broad-based support for 
overall reforms, but this will require dialogue and 
compromise on both sides.  The opposition will have to accept 
the constitution as the legal framework governing the 
Kingdom, and the GOB will have to accept the idea that if 
social tension is to ease, some electoral reform, however 
modest, needs to take place. 
 
10.  (U) DAS Carpenter cleared this cable. 
MONROE